High-throughput phase elucidation of polycrystalline materials using serial rotation electron diffraction

Rapid phase elucidation of polycrystalline materials is crucial for materials development. However, the small size and quantity of many crystalline phases hinder routine X-ray diffraction analysis. This paper demonstrates the use of serial rotation electron diffraction (SerialRED) for high-throughput phase identification in complex polycrystalline zeolite products synthesized using multiple framework T atoms ([Si, Ge, Al] or [Si,Ge,B]) and a simple organic structure-directing agent. SerialRED identified five zeolite phases, including those with ultra-low contents undetectable by X-ray diffraction and phases with identical morphology and similar unit cell parameters. This automated, high-throughput method enables the exploration of complex synthesis systems and accelerates the development of polycrystalline materials.

Yi Luo, Bin Wang, Stef Smeets, Junliang Sun, Weimin Yang, Xiaodong Zou