Combined three-dimensional structure and chemistry imaging with nanoscale resolution

While there is great interest in characterizing and modifying materials at the nanoscale, progress has been slow because few techniques allow for critical observations at this length scale. This work presents a data fusion technique that combines synchrotron-based X-ray nano computed tomography and nano X-ray fluorescence to non-destructively investigate complex nanoscale materials and provide combined three-dimensional (3-D) renderings of microstructure and chemistry. The technique has been named nano tomography-assisted chemical correlation (nTACCo) and is demonstrated on fly ash particles with nanoscale chemical inhomogeneities. Our findings show that nTACCo is capable of providing the concentration and location of seven different nano-inclusions within a particle. This work also provides direct observations of reactivity and chemical distribution of fly ash. This ability to combine 3-D structure and chemistry at the nanoscale will provide unprecedented tools for nanoscience in material science, biology, chemistry and medical science.