Suffolk Reporter

Materials scientist Meng Li is a staff scientist in the Electron Microscopy group at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, which she joined last year. Li splits her time between helping users conduct in situ experiments at CFN’s transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) and conducting her own research. Her research interests include in situ TEM studies of corrosion and catalysis and developing new in situ microscopy instrumentation and experimental tools.

"My role at CFN mainly focuses on 'in situ' and 'operando' transmission electron microscopy," Li explained. "This approach allows us to capture the atomic-scale dynamic changes of the sample in real time, and we measure the properties or reaction products to get a direct correlation between the structure and properties of the material."

Li is also working on ways to improve these studies by developing specialized sample holders and microscopes. "At CFN, we have a unique Titan Environmental TEM (E-TEM) and an upcoming state-of-the-art Nion environmental scanning TEM that enable us to introduce gases into the microscope," she said. These experiments generate large quantities of data, which are challenging to process with conventional TEM data analysis tools designed for single images.

"I focus on developing hardware and software for CFN’s TEMs that can lead to a better understanding of atomic-scale mechanisms," Li noted. This includes developing sample holders that incorporate micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and software tools using artificial intelligence and machine learning methods.

Li also supports user scientists by helping them run their in situ TEM experiments effectively. "My role is to help users throughout the process so they can increase their success rate in the experiment and get useful data," she stated.

Her work with users complements her own research on corrosion and catalysts, allowing her to test new designs and gather valuable feedback. "I have developed new sample holders for microscopy experiments, and being able to deploy them in user experiments gives me valuable feedback," she said.

Outside of work, Li enjoys various hobbies such as painting, playing musical instruments, learning piano, playing a classic Chinese string instrument, and spending time with her two cats.