3D electron diffraction—the missing slice completing nanoscale analysis of organic solar cells in TEM

Kraus I, Wu M, Rechberger S, Will J, Maiti S, Dengel K, Kuhlmann A, Huck M, Lüer L, Bertram F, Steinrück HG, Unruh T, Brabec C, Spiecker E (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 17

Article Number: 3159

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70690-y

Abstract

Optimizing the performance of organic solar cells hinges on a comprehensive understanding of their nanostructures, yet traditional characterization methods often fall short, delivering incomplete structural snapshots. We introduce elastically filtered 3D electron diffraction as technique to bridge full reciprocal- and real-space structural analysis within a single transmission electron microscope. Using model bulk heterojunction DRCN5T:PC71BM, 3D electron diffraction reproduces key structural parameters obtained from grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, including lattice spacings, coherence lengths, and mosaicity, while also providing true in-plane access and direct registration with high-resolution imaging, diffraction imaging and nano-spectroscopy on the same sample. Application to another archetypal blend, P3HT:PC71BM, demonstrates the generality of the method. Our findings underscore the transformative potential of 3D electron diffraction, particularly in analyzing beam-sensitive organic thin films. The method enables correlative structural characterization of organic solar cells and opens pathways for application to a wide range of other nanostructured materials.

Authors with CRIS profile

Irene Kraus Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Mingjian Wu Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Stefanie Rechberger Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Johannes Will Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Santanu Maiti Lehrstuhl für Kristallographie und Strukturphysik (ICSP) Larry Lüer Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) Tobias Unruh Professur für Nanomaterialcharakterisierung (Streumethoden) Christoph Brabec Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) Erdmann Spiecker Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung)

Additional Organisation(s)

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum, Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM) Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM) Graduiertenkolleg 3103/1 - Korrelative Materialmikroskopie: Von nanostrukturierten funktionalen Filmen zu hierarchischen Funktionsmaterialien (CorMic)

Utilized Equipment

Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra 200 C-FEG (Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH) Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) FEI Titan Themis 300 (FEI) Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung)

Involved external institutions

Forschungszentrum Jülich / Research Centre Jülich (FZJ) DE Germany (DE) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Kraus, I., Wu, M., Rechberger, S., Will, J., Maiti, S., Dengel, K.,... Spiecker, E. (2026). 3D electron diffraction—the missing slice completing nanoscale analysis of organic solar cells in TEM. Nature Communications, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70690-y

MLA:

Kraus, Irene, et al. "3D electron diffraction—the missing slice completing nanoscale analysis of organic solar cells in TEM." Nature Communications 17.1 (2026).

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