TY - JOUR A1 - Bittencourt, Carla A1 - Krüger, Peter A1 - Lagos, Maureen J. A1 - Ke, Xiaoxing A1 - Van Tendeloo, Gustaaf A1 - Ewels, Chris A1 - Umek, Polona A1 - Guttmann, Peter T1 - Towards atomic resolution in sodium titanate nanotubes using near-edge X-ray-absorption fine-structure spectromicroscopy combined with multichannel multiple-scattering calculations JF - Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology PY - 2012/// VL - 3 SP - 789 EP - 797 SN - 2190-4286 DO - 10.3762/bjnano.3.88 PB - Beilstein-Institut JA - Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. UR - https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.3.88 KW - multichannel multiple scattering KW - nanotubes KW - NEXAFS KW - sodium titanates N2 - Recent advances in near-edge X-ray-absorption fine-structure spectroscopy coupled with transmission X-ray microscopy (NEXAFS–TXM) allow large-area mapping investigations of individual nano-objects with spectral resolution up to E/ΔE = 104 and spatial resolution approaching 10 nm. While the state-of-the-art spatial resolution of X-ray microscopy is limited by nanostructuring process constrains of the objective zone plate, we show here that it is possible to overcome this through close coupling with high-level theoretical modelling. Taking the example of isolated bundles of hydrothermally prepared sodium titanate nanotubes ((Na,H)TiNTs) we are able to unravel the complex nanoscale structure from the NEXAFS–TXM data using multichannel multiple-scattering calculations, to the extent of being able to associate specific spectral features in the O K-edge and Ti L-edge with oxygen atoms in distinct sites within the lattice. These can even be distinguished from the contribution of different hydroxyl groups to the electronic structure of the (Na,H)TiNTs. ER -