Chen Jiaqi, Chen Xuegang, Murakami Ri-Ichi, Li Hanbo, Yu Xue, Feng Wei, Yang Yuxin, Wang Pan, Zheng Guangchao, Tang Zhiyong, Wu Xiaochun
School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China.
Sichuan Province Engineering Research Center for Powder Metallurgy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China.
Adv Mater. 2024 Dec;36(49):e2410676. doi: 10.1002/adma.202410676. Epub 2024 Oct 14.
Chiral inorganic nanomaterials (CINMs) have garnered significant interest due to their exceptional optical, electronic, and catalytic properties, offering promising advancements in energy conversion, data storage, catalysis, and biomedicine. While traditional optical spectrophotometers reveal the chiroptical performance of CINMs on an ensemble level, the direct structural visualization for the qualitative and quantitative discernment of their chiral features has become increasingly distinct with the advancements of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The need for reasonable and high-standard discrimination requirements of CINMs has driven the progress of chirality-based TEM technologies. Therefore, this review in the good season takes the initiative to summarize the current advancements in TEM technologies for CINMs characterization, emphasizing a qualitative analysis of chiral atomic-level features, 0D, 1D, and 2D nanocrystals, and assembled nanomaterials. Then, the quantitative methods for determining chirality is also highlighted, such as 3D electron tomography, and further address the evolution of chiral structures monitored by the Ex-situ and In-situ TEM technologies. By providing a roadmap for the current challenges and proposing future advancements in TEM technologies for the qualitative, quantitative, and real-time analysis of CINMs, it can drive innovations in the field of chiral nanomaterials as well as the development of TEM technologies.
手性无机纳米材料（CINMs）因其卓越的光学、电子和催化性能而备受关注，在能量转换、数据存储、催化和生物医学等领域有着广阔的发展前景。传统的光学分光光度计能从整体层面揭示CINMs的手性光学性能，然而，随着透射电子显微镜（TEM）技术的发展，直接对其手性特征进行定性和定量识别的结构可视化变得越来越重要。对CINMs合理且高标准的鉴别需求推动了基于手性的TEM技术的进步。因此，本综述适时主动总结了用于CINMs表征的TEM技术的当前进展，重点对手性原子级特征、零维、一维和二维纳米晶体以及组装纳米材料进行定性分析。然后，还强调了确定手性的定量方法，如三维电子断层扫描，并进一步探讨了通过非原位和原位TEM技术监测的手性结构的演变。通过为当前挑战提供路线图，并提出TEM技术在CINMs定性、定量和实时分析方面的未来进展，有望推动手性纳米材料领域的创新以及TEM技术的发展。
