Low-Voltage Electron Microscopy (LVEM): Part II—Applications Where LVEM Provides Significant Benefit

Abstract Low-voltage electron microscopy (LVEM), operating below 25kV, provides enhanced contrast for imaging low-atomic-number elements, overcoming limitations of conventional high-voltage TEM. The higher interactions between the electrons and the specimen allow for the visualization of soft materials with reduced or no staining, simplifying sample preparation and eliminating toxic reagents. LVEM provides high-resolution imaging (≈1nm) in a compact and cost-effective system, allowing applications from cellular ultrastructure to nanomaterial morphology and 2D materials such as graphene. By combining affordability, improved contrast, and advanced characterization techniques such as electron diffraction and energy-­dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), LVEM is a practical and powerful tool for research and routine characterization in biological and materials science.