LEIDEN PROBE MICROSCOPY BV

Their core work

Leiden Probe Microscopy BV is a Dutch specialist SME that develops and applies advanced probe microscopy instrumentation to study surfaces and materials at the atomic and nanoscale level. Their core contribution to research consortia is providing in-situ characterization capabilities — observing how materials behave during actual growth or reaction conditions rather than after the fact. In both H2020 projects they contributed expertise in scanning probe techniques combined with complementary methods such as Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to study how two-dimensional materials like graphene form and can be separated from liquid metal catalyst surfaces. They sit at the intersection of precision instrumentation, surface science, and applied materials research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first project (LMCat, 2017–2021) the focus was on understanding the fundamental growth mechanisms of 2D materials on liquid metal surfaces — a basic science question — using a broad toolkit of in-situ characterization methods including Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and probe microscopy. By their second project (DirectSepa, 2021–2023) the language shifted decisively toward process outcomes: direct separation, liquid copper catalyst, graphene — pointing to a move from understanding how 2D materials form to solving the practical problem of extracting them from the catalyst surface. This trajectory suggests a deliberate step toward applications and scale-up rather than staying in pure surface science.

They are moving along the TRL ladder within a narrow but commercially significant niche — from studying 2D material formation to enabling their industrial extraction — making them an increasingly relevant partner for consortia targeting scalable graphene or 2D material production.

How they like to work

Leiden Probe Microscopy has participated in every H2020 project as a partner rather than a coordinator, which is consistent with their profile as a highly specialized instrumentation SME that brings a specific technical capability to a larger team rather than leading broad research programs. Their two projects involved small, focused consortia — only 6 unique partners across 4 countries in total — suggesting they work in tight specialist groups rather than large distributed networks. This makes them a reliable, low-overhead specialist contributor: they join because a consortium needs their specific microscopy expertise, not because they are managing the science broadly.

Their H2020 network is deliberately small — 6 unique partners across 4 countries — reflecting a strategy of deep engagement in niche scientific consortia rather than broad European networking. The geographic spread suggests they are comfortable working internationally but their partnerships are project-driven rather than built around a standing network.

What sets them apart

Leiden Probe Microscopy occupies a rare niche as a commercial SME with research-grade probe microscopy capabilities applied specifically to 2D materials and liquid metal surface science — a combination almost never found outside university groups. For any consortium working on graphene production, 2D material characterization, or liquid metal catalysis, they provide instrumentation access and operational expertise that would otherwise require an academic partner. Their location in Leiden, embedded in one of the Netherlands' strongest physics and chemistry research environments, reinforces their credibility as a precision science partner rather than a generic analysis service.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DirectSepa
  The largest of their two projects by EC funding (€1.23M) and the most application-oriented, targeting the practical challenge of separating graphene from liquid metal catalysts — a bottleneck for commercial 2D material production.
• LMCat
  Their entry into H2020, establishing their role in the liquid-metal-catalyst route to defect-free 2D materials — a FET-funded project signalling that the scientific community rated this approach as genuinely emerging and high-risk/high-reward.