Towards next-gen functional materials: Nanotube crystal enables direct observation of electron transfer in solids

Electron transfer (ET) is a process in which an electron is transferred from one atom or molecule to another. ET is fundamental to electrochemical reactions with applications in many fields. Nanoscale ET, which involves the transfer of electrons in the range of 1–100 nanometers in solids, is fundamental to the design of multifunctional materials. However, this process is not yet clearly understood.