HIGH-VOLTAGE, HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY ON THIN-SECTIONS OFMONODISPERSED PSEUDOCUBIC HEMATITE PARTICLES

An ultramicrotome was applied to prepare thin sections of monodisperse d pseudocubic hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) particles produced by the gel-sol method for studying their external shapes and internal structures cou pled with high-voltage, high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). An ultramicrotome enables us to provide a series of thin sections of the particles when using appropriate acril resin and choosing optimum sli cing conditions. A series of thin sections shows the details of extern al shape of a particle. High-voltage, HREM images of these thin sectio ns clearly reveal the arrangements of subcrystals and their crystallog raphic orientations. Moreover, despite the background contrast due to the carbon film of the microgrid, the positions of Fe atoms near the s urface of particles are directly identified by high-voltage, HREM. The preparation of thin sections with an ultramicrotome and their observa tion by high-voltage HREM are found very useful for making clear the i nternal structure of fine oxide particles in the atomic scale.