Identical Location Transmission Electron Microscopy (IL-TEM)

The stability of PEM FC catalyst is of major concern. It is important to know what degradation mechanism are occurring under certain conditions. In order to do this properly it is an advantage to have a method that is able to look at exactly the same nano-particle before and after the conditioning. With the help of  TEM finder/locator grids we are able to find the same spot after the electrochemical treatment. The grids are made of a conductive and inert material (like gold and carbon) so they can be used in acidic and alkaline environment.

The information that can be gathered from all of the different TEM techniques (HR-TEM, EELS, nano-EDX, STEM, …) will help us get more understanding and in the future better knowledge to design more stable catalysts.