Quantitative high-resolution transmission electron microscopy: a promising tool for carbon materials characterization

Carbon materials usually exhibit a multiscale organization from the subnanometric to the millimetric scales. Such an organization is the fingerprint of the conditions of formation and is responsible for numerous properties. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is a relevant tool to image directly the profile of the polyaromatic layers forming the skeleton of these carbons. Quantitative data are required to accurately describe such multiscale organization, to decipher the formation conditions and to foresee industrial properties. In this respect, an in-house image analysis procedure was developed based on the skeletonization of the HRTEM images, followed by the extraction of structural and microtextural data. Thanks to these quantitative data, the organization of disordered carbons can be relevantly revisited. Some applications of this approach are presently tested in the field of carbon characterization, in relation with environment problems, earth or universe sciences, or industrial carbon materials.