The third implementation PhD at Łukasiewicz – PORT has been successfully defended. Congratulations to Dr Anna Siudzińska, who defended her dissertation entitled “In situ Studies of Interactions Between Two-Dimensional Materials and an Electron Beam in a Transmission Electron Microscope.”
The aim of the dissertation was to develop a comprehensive measurement procedure for a challenging group of two-dimensional materials and to investigate the interactions between these materials and an electron beam.
As a result, handling and measurement procedures for 2D structures were developed for four groups of materials: graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, metal monochalcogenides, and copper(I) oxide. These materials are used, among others, in nano- and optoelectronics, catalysis, biomedicine, detector development, and as semiconductors on the nanoscale.
For each of these material groups, a recommended research pathway was defined, covering all stages from sample preparation to imaging using a transmission electron microscope. These procedures will accelerate research processes and help prevent accidental damage to samples that are extremely sensitive to electron beam exposure.
The results presented in the dissertation also include a detailed description of the interactions between the electron beam and the investigated materials. A thorough understanding of the interaction mechanisms between the electron beam and various 2D materials, along with precise determination of microscope operating parameters, enables not only damage-free measurements without radiation-induced degradation of samples, but also the controlled introduction of specific types of defects. This provides broad possibilities for modifying the structure and properties of two-dimensional materials.
The dissertation was carried out at Łukasiewicz – PORT in cooperation with the Włodzimierz Trzebiatowski Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław. The supervisors of the work were Prof. Dr Detlef Hommel and Dr hab. Eng. Alicja Bachmatiuk.
