An Open-Cell Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Technique for in Situ Characterization of Samples in Aqueous Liquid Solutions

Barnaby D.A. Levin, DIane Haiber, Qianlang Liu, Peter A. Crozier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The desire to image specimens in liquids has led to the development of open-cell and closed-cell techniques in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The closed-cell approach is currently more common in TEM and has yielded new insights into a number of biological and materials processes in liquid environments. The open-cell approach, which requires an environmental TEM (ETEM), is technically challenging but may be advantageous in certain circumstances due to fewer restrictions on specimen and detector geometry. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach to open-cell liquid TEM, in which we use salt particles to facilitate the in situ formation of droplets of aqueous solution that envelope specimen particles coloaded with the salt. This is achieved by controlling sample temperature between 1 and 10°C and introducing water vapor to the ETEM chamber above the critical pressure for the formation of liquid water on the salt particles. Our use of in situ hydration enables specimens to be loaded into a microscope in a dry state using standard 3 mm TEM grids, allowing specimens to be prepared using trivial sample preparation techniques. Our future aim will be to combine this technique with an in situ light source to study photocorrosion in aqueous environments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)134-138
Number of pages5
JournalMicroscopy and Microanalysis
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2020

Keywords

  • aqueous solution
  • environmental transmission electron microscopy
  • in situ
  • nanoparticles

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Instrumentation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An Open-Cell Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Technique for in Situ Characterization of Samples in Aqueous Liquid Solutions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this