Images, atoms and sustainability; towards a new paradigm

Electron microscopy has advanced tremendously enabling the exploration of matter at the atomic-level. Today, electron microscopy can deliver images of single atoms and render their three-dimensional spatial positions. The introduction of miniaturized gas and liquid cells has also made electron microscopy available for monitoring chemical dynamics in reactive environments. There is great potential in combining these imaging technologies to open up new, exciting opportunities for uncovering the dynamic and functional behavior of complex nanomaterials at the atomic-level. This inaugural lecture will outline electron microscopy breakthroughs establishing “live” observations of catalysts at the atomic-scale and offering attractive complements to existing approaches in catalysis science for a sustainable future.

Professor Stig Helveg

Professor Stig Helveg is a newly appointed Professor in Physics of Transmission Electron Microscopy and Nanomaterials for Catalysis at DTU. He holds a MSc degree (1998) and a PhD degree (2000) in physics from Aarhus University. In 2000, he joined Haldor Topsoe A/S to advance atomic-resolution electron microscopy for in situ and operando studies in catalysis science. His research advances fundamental scientific insight into dynamic mechanisms and functions in catalysis. His work is highly interdisciplinary, integrating advances in atomic-resolution electron microscopy, chemical engineering, surface science, and micro-electro-mechanical system technology. For these accomplishments, he was awarded the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science Elite Research Prize (2018) and the Materials Research Society (MRS) Innovation in Materials Characterization Award (2019). Since March 2020, he is Professor and Director of the Danish National Research Foundation Center for Visualizing Catalytic Processes (VISION) at DTU Physics.