Nondestructive three-dimensional x-ray diffraction imaging of nanoscale particles

We report a novel approach to X-ray diffraction data analysis for nondestructive determination of the shape of nanoscale particles and clusters in three dimensions with a spatial resolution of a few nanometers. The advantage of the proposed approach is that it does not require a coherent X-ray source and therefore is suitable for almost any synchrotron radiation beamline and many laboratory sources. The technique is insensitive to the coherence of the X-rays, and 3D reconstruction of a modal image is possible without tomographic synthesis, rendering the approach suitable for laboratory facilities. Successful application of the technique to the characterization of nanoparticulate in a range of dispersed-phase nanocomposite structures illustrates this novel approach.