Image of the moment 2024 winners gallery The winner of September/October 2024 contest period is: “Le masque du fantôme triste” by Ariana Serban (LSCI). Congratulations! Le masque du fantôme triste, Ariana Serban (LSCI)September/October 2024Ni foam support used in water splitting that looks like a sad, hanging ghost. Microscope: SEM Gemini.Dendritic Algae Reef, Bouchez Arthur (LIMNO)July/August 2024Salt dendrites with polymer nanoparticles. Observed by TEM. Microscope: TEM Talos.Goldfish with human face, Shuqing Song (LAS)May/June 2024The image looks quite like a goldfish with a human face. Microscope: SEM Teneo.Microscopic Bloom – A Rose Unveiled, Thi Ha My Pham (LMER)March/April 2024Gas Diffusion Electrode after electrochemical CO2 reduction. Microscope: SEM Teneo.Lunar eclipse, Laurène Tribolet (FIMAP)January/February 2024An undesirable air bubble created a hole in a flat substrate, which turned into a dark moon hiding the sun in a starry sky after the dewetting of a thin selenium film. Microscope: SEM Gemini.Le masque du fantôme triste, Ariana Serban (LSCI)September/October 2024Ni foam support used in water splitting that looks like a sad, hanging ghost. Microscope: SEM Gemini.Dendritic Algae Reef, Bouchez Arthur (LIMNO)July/August 2024Salt dendrites with polymer nanoparticles. Observed by TEM. Microscope: TEM Talos.Goldfish with human face, Shuqing Song (LAS)May/June 2024The image looks quite like a goldfish with a human face. Microscope: SEM Teneo.Microscopic Bloom – A Rose Unveiled, Thi Ha My Pham (LMER)March/April 2024Gas Diffusion Electrode after electrochemical CO2 reduction. Microscope: SEM Teneo.Lunar eclipse, Laurène Tribolet (FIMAP)January/February 2024An undesirable air bubble created a hole in a flat substrate, which turned into a dark moon hiding the sun in a starry sky after the dewetting of a thin selenium film. Microscope: SEM Gemini. See all 2024 competitors gallery Do you want to participate? Read contest rules and submit your image(s) here. 2023 winners gallery Selenium Valley, Laurène Tribolet, Eva Vogt (FIMAP)November/December 2023Thin layer of selenium dewetted into beautifully spread droplets on winding resist valleys resulting from unwanted buckling. Microscope: SEM Gemini.Dendretic flowers – Ayush Khurana (TIC)September/October 2023Dendritic growth of copper during electrodeposition resembling blooming of flowers. Microscope: SEM/FIB CrossBeam.Roaring Fire, Yan Meng (FIMAP)July/August 2023Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF) polymer thin film after thermally drawing. This soft and plastic film under microscopy looks like fire burning with flames. Microscope: SEM Gemini.von Koch’s goldflake #I13, Sergejs Boroviks (STI – NAM)May/June 2023SEM image of a chemically synthesized gold crystalline flake exhibiting a fractal-shaped defect, reminiscent of von Koch fractal. Perhaps, the crystal was unlucky to get a defect during the growth as it was labelled with the unlucky number 13? Microscope: SEM/FIB CrossBeam.Nano Irish Fiddle, Ludovic Zaza (LNCE)March/April 2023For 2023 St-Patrick’s day: an Irish fiddle made of the stacking of Cu cubes and few Cu rods. Microscope: TEM Spirit.Tunnel to nowhere, Cédric Van Goethem (LAS)January/February 2023Unwanted wrinkle in a porous nanocrystalline graphene membrane. Microscope: SEM Teneo.Selenium Valley, Laurène Tribolet, Eva Vogt (FIMAP)November/December 2023Thin layer of selenium dewetted into beautifully spread droplets on winding resist valleys resulting from unwanted buckling. Microscope: SEM Gemini.Dendretic flowers – Ayush Khurana (TIC)September/October 2023Dendritic growth of copper during electrodeposition resembling blooming of flowers. Microscope: SEM/FIB CrossBeam.Roaring Fire, Yan Meng (FIMAP)July/August 2023Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF) polymer thin film after thermally drawing. This soft and plastic film under microscopy looks like fire burning with flames. Microscope: SEM Gemini.von Koch’s goldflake #I13, Sergejs Boroviks (STI – NAM)May/June 2023SEM image of a chemically synthesized gold crystalline flake exhibiting a fractal-shaped defect, reminiscent of von Koch fractal. Perhaps, the crystal was unlucky to get a defect during the growth as it was labelled with the unlucky number 13? Microscope: SEM/FIB CrossBeam.Nano Irish Fiddle, Ludovic Zaza (LNCE)March/April 2023For 2023 St-Patrick’s day: an Irish fiddle made of the stacking of Cu cubes and few Cu rods. Microscope: TEM Spirit.Tunnel to nowhere, Cédric Van Goethem (LAS)January/February 2023Unwanted wrinkle in a porous nanocrystalline graphene membrane. Microscope: SEM Teneo. See all 2023 competitors gallery. 2022 winners gallery Empty Beehive, Pauline Pradal (SMaL)November/December 2022Freeze-dried polymeric core shell particle. Microscope: SEM Gemini.Spider TEM, Pierpaolo Ranieri (INE)September/October 2022Potassium niobate lamella prepared using focused ion beam. As an effect of the bend contours a spider appears on the surface. Microscope: TEM Talos.Nano Ice-Cream, Ludovic Zaza (LNCE)July/August 2022Nothing better than a nano ice cream during a hot summer afternoon. Composed of randomly distributed Cu nanocrystals around a Cu rod. Microscope: TEM Tecnai G2 Spirit Twin (Sion).Geometries, Alejandra Slagter (LMM)May/June 2022A spherical inclusion sitting on a chemically etched iron surface. Microscope: Gemini SEMGe sea monsters, Andrea Giunto (LMSC)March/April 2022Germanium monsters arose at the bottom of a Silicon ocean from a Ion Beam Etching gone wrong. They are waiting with their gaping jaws for the next pray passing by. Microscope: SEM/FIB NVision.Cement coral, Andrea Teixeira (LMC)January/February 2022Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and ettringite coral in a cement sample after one day of hydration. Microscope: SEM Merlin.Empty Beehive, Pauline Pradal (SMaL)November/December 2022Freeze-dried polymeric core shell particle. Microscope: SEM Gemini.Spider TEM, Pierpaolo Ranieri (INE)September/October 2022Potassium niobate lamella prepared using focused ion beam. As an effect of the bend contours a spider appears on the surface. Microscope: TEM Talos.Nano Ice-Cream, Ludovic Zaza (LNCE)July/August 2022Nothing better than a nano ice cream during a hot summer afternoon. Composed of randomly distributed Cu nanocrystals around a Cu rod. Microscope: TEM Tecnai G2 Spirit Twin (Sion).Geometries, Alejandra Slagter (LMM)May/June 2022A spherical inclusion sitting on a chemically etched iron surface. Microscope: Gemini SEMGe sea monsters, Andrea Giunto (LMSC)March/April 2022Germanium monsters arose at the bottom of a Silicon ocean from a Ion Beam Etching gone wrong. They are waiting with their gaping jaws for the next pray passing by. Microscope: SEM/FIB NVision.Cement coral, Andrea Teixeira (LMC)January/February 2022Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and ettringite coral in a cement sample after one day of hydration. Microscope: SEM Merlin. See all 2022 competitors gallery. 2021 winners gallery Solar system model, Mukesh Tripathi (LANES)November/December 2021Differential phase contrast (DPC) imaging of freestanding 2D materials with thickness variations. Microscope: TEM Themis3D nano-ant walking in TiAl alloy – Gulnaz Ganeeva (LSME)September/October 2021Anaglyph made from tilt-less stereo-pair STEM images of dislocations in TiAl alloy, stereo-angle approximately 2 degrees. Best viewed with 3D glasses. Microscope: TEM Osiris.Micrometer Mountains of Valais, Luis Francisco Villalobos (LAS)May/June 2021A failed yet beautiful attempt towards the optimization of poly(triazine imide) membranes. We deposited single-layer poly(triazine imide)nanosheets on a porous alumina support. Microscope: SEM Teneo.Furry Friends – Solene Barbotin-Albinski (LMC)March/April 2021Formation of silico-alkali-calcareous “hedgehogs” in concrete immersed for 3 months in an alkaline solution. Microscope: SEM Merlin.Seascraper, France Bourely (LNMC)January/February 2021Phytoplancton emerging from a pore on the skeleton of the mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The function of the many interconnected pores is to allow the passage of adhesive tube feet, mainly for locomotion. This endoskeleton, enclosed by an epidermis, and spines, is called a test. It is famous for its beautiful symmetry, and is mostly made of calcite and magnesite. Its shape is effective at distributing stress evenly over the surface. Marine echinoderms can be studied for their numerous biomimetic applications. Gold coated, and photographed at 2kv on a Gemini-SEM 300.Solar system model, Mukesh Tripathi (LANES)November/December 2021Differential phase contrast (DPC) imaging of freestanding 2D materials with thickness variations. Microscope: TEM Themis3D nano-ant walking in TiAl alloy – Gulnaz Ganeeva (LSME)September/October 2021Anaglyph made from tilt-less stereo-pair STEM images of dislocations in TiAl alloy, stereo-angle approximately 2 degrees. Best viewed with 3D glasses. Microscope: TEM Osiris.Micrometer Mountains of Valais, Luis Francisco Villalobos (LAS)May/June 2021A failed yet beautiful attempt towards the optimization of poly(triazine imide) membranes. We deposited single-layer poly(triazine imide)nanosheets on a porous alumina support. Microscope: SEM Teneo.Furry Friends – Solene Barbotin-Albinski (LMC)March/April 2021Formation of silico-alkali-calcareous “hedgehogs” in concrete immersed for 3 months in an alkaline solution. Microscope: SEM Merlin.Seascraper, France Bourely (LNMC)January/February 2021Phytoplancton emerging from a pore on the skeleton of the mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The function of the many interconnected pores is to allow the passage of adhesive tube feet, mainly for locomotion. This endoskeleton, enclosed by an epidermis, and spines, is called a test. It is famous for its beautiful symmetry, and is mostly made of calcite and magnesite. Its shape is effective at distributing stress evenly over the surface. Marine echinoderms can be studied for their numerous biomimetic applications. Gold coated, and photographed at 2kv on a Gemini-SEM 300. See all 2021 competitors gallery.