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

Levin, Barnaby D. A.; Haiber, Diane; Liu, Qianlang; Crozier, Peter A.

doi:10.1017/s1431927619015320

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

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Microscopy and Microanalysis

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927619015320· OSTI ID:1995992

^[1]; Haiber, Diane ^[2]; Liu, Qianlang ^[2]; Crozier, Peter A. ^[2]

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (United States); Arizona State University
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (United States)

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. Furthermore, our future aim will be to combine this technique with an in situ light source to study photocorrosion in aqueous environments.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (MSE)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0004954

OSTI ID:: 1995992

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1801615

Journal Information:: Microscopy and Microanalysis, Journal Name: Microscopy and Microanalysis Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 26; ISSN 1431-9276

Publisher:: Microscopy Society of America (MSA)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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