Institute for Materials Science and Engineering adds state-of-the-art electron microscope
Danforth Shared Instrumentation Facilities Expo set for Oct. 7 to feature GRAND ARM 2, other highlights
The Institute for Materials Science and Engineering (IMSE) at Washington University in St. Louis is now home to the JEOL GRAND ARM 2, a state-of-the-art microscope that will allow researchers to visualize materials at the atomic scale.
The GRAND ARM 2, located on the lower level of Scott Rudolph Hall, is an aberration-corrected scanning/transmission electron microscope (AC-STEM) with spatial resolution of 53 pm, roughly half the distance between atoms in a solid. The powerful tool will enable the study of materials at the atomic scale, including under challenging conditions approximating real-life service.
It will be included in the Danforth Shared Instrumentation Facilities Expo set for 12:30-5 p.m. Oct. 7 in Uncas A. Whitaker Atrium, among other highlights.
“There are only a handful of instruments in the U.S. with this level of capability,” said Francisco Lagunas Vargas, assistant professor of mechanical engineering & materials science. “With it, researchers can directly visualize the atomic structure and the local chemistry of their materials. This information is crucial when trying to engineer new nanomaterials, understand how materials degrade or deform, or design novel materials from scratch.”
Lagunas Vargas’ expertise lies in using advanced Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopes (STEM) to investigate materials at angstrom scales.
The research conducted using the GRAND ARM 2 is expected to be invaluable to the design of next-generation energy production and storage systems such as catalysts and batteries; quantum materials and devices necessary to power the future of computing and AI; and sensors for point-of-care medical diagnostics. IMSE staff will train doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to use the instrument to pursue their research.
The microscope is also available to WashU researchers, external academics and industry users on a fee-for-use basis in the IMSE user facility.
An advanced microscopy workshop and an academic course, both led by Lagunas Vargas, are planned for 2026.
Funds from the Office of the Provost and McKelvey School of Engineering paid for the device.