Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 54, 33511 (2011)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap/2011100440

A strategy for simulating Electron Energy-Loss Near-Edge Structures of nanoparticles: application to size effects in Gd₂O₃

¹ INSA-Lyon, MATEIS CNRS UMR5510, Bât. Blaise Pascal, 69621 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
² Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, LPCML CNRS UMR5620, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France

^a e-mail: thierry.epicier@insa-lyon.fr

Received: 1 November 2010
Revised: 4 February 2011
Accepted: 23 March 2011
Published online: 9 June 2011

Abstract

Nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted a considerable interest in the last decades, owing to their remarkable physical and chemical properties. The most important characteristic of NPs is the size effect, that is, their properties differ from that of the corresponding bulk material. We will focus here on Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) investigations of Gd₂O₃ NPs of different and controlled sizes. EELS spectra near the O-K edge of Gd₂O₃ were recorded and compared with feff8.2 ELNES simulations. The calculation of the EELS response from small particles by the feff code raises some particular problems which have been carefully examined and partially solved. The simulations are in fair agreement with experiment and reveal the existence of size effects.