Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jacob Smith, Zhennan Huang, Wenpei Gao, Guannan Zhang, Miaofang Chi
Summary: Cryogenic four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) imaging is a valuable technique for studying quantum materials and their interfaces at atomic scale, but its applications are restricted by the instability of cryo-stages and electronics. To address this issue, an algorithm is developed to correct complex distortions in the atomic resolution cryogenic 4D-STEM data sets. This method involves nonrigid registration and affine transformations to minimize information loss in both reciprocal and real spaces, enabling the reconstruction of sample information from 4D-STEM data sets. It is computationally inexpensive, fast, and suitable for on-the-fly data analysis in future in situ cryogenic 4D-STEM experiments.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elizaveta Tyukalova, Joseph Vimal Vas, Reinis Ignatans, Aaron David Mueller, Rohit Medwal, Masaaki Imamura, Hironori Asada, Yasuhiro Fukuma, Rajdeep Singh Rawat, Vasiliki Tileli, Martial Duchamp
Summary: This article discusses the challenges and potential applications of using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and spectroscopy at low temperatures. The study shows the potential for atomic-resolution imaging at cryogenic temperatures to be generalized to most Li-based materials. Furthermore, real-time TEM imaging in a continuous and variable temperature range has shown promise for studying the evolution of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic domain walls.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuxiu Gong, Tianhang Gu, Lan Ling, Rongliang Qiu, Wei-Xian Zhang
Summary: Recent developments in cryo-EM have shown its potential for characterizing environmental samples with high water content. Cryo-EM preserves specimens by rapid freezing and has been successfully applied to advance understanding of physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms. It also has significant applications in pathogen detection, waste treatment, and green chemical production.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Masahisa Wada, Sayuri Wakiya, Kayoko Kobayashi, Satoshi Kimura, Motomitsu Kitaoka, Ryosuke Kusumi, Fumiko Kimura, Tsunehisa Kimura
Summary: Enzymatic synthesis was used to produce cellulose oligomers with azido groups, which were then used to create cellulose microcrystal suspensions with exposed azido groups on the surface. The microcrystals, in a crystalline form of cellulose II, were several micrometers in length and had a thickness of 5.1-5.2 nm.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Garth C. Egan, Edmond Y. Lau, Eric Schwegler
Summary: We directly imaged the laser-induced cavitation of micron and nanoscale bubbles using Movie-Mode Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscopy (MM-DTEM). The collapse of isolated nanobubbles was observed to occur in less than 50 ns, while larger bubbles (approximately 2-3 μm) grew and collapsed in less than 200 ns. Bubbles in close proximity to each other exhibited more complex behavior, with longer lifetimes and a higher likelihood of rebounding after collapse.
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xi Jiang, Nitash P. Balsara
Summary: Electron microscopy has been essential in characterizing polymers, with recent developments allowing for atomic resolution imaging of polymer crystals and providing a comprehensive understanding of strategies towards high-resolution imaging of radiation-sensitive polymer materials at different length scales.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marie Vancova, Radim Skoupy, Eva Durinova, Tomas Bily, Jana Nebesarova, Vladislav Krzyzanek, Ales Kolouch, Petr Horodysky
Summary: This study reports the first use of two live-cell imaging agents as cathodoluminescent probes. The approach allows for the identification of cellular structures at the nanoscale and near the native state directly in the cryo-scanning electron microscope.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Monika Kakol, Ezher Tagliasacchi, Andrzej Borkowski, Miroslaw Slowakiewicz
Summary: The nutritional condition of seed mussels used in New Zealand's Greenshell mussel aquaculture industry shows high variability, which may contribute to the marked variation observed in spat performance. Environmental factors that limit feeding during harvest and transport of spat are likely influencing the quality of spat used by the industry. Measures to improve the quality of wild spat supply, such as testing nutritional condition and developing nursery culture methods and artificial spat feeds, are needed.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rebeca Fortes Martin, Claudia Prietzel, Joachim Koetz
Summary: Nanoparticle interactions can be utilized to fabricate functional nanomaterials through phase separation and coagulation in microemulsions, achieving a new encapsulation strategy under relatively mild conditions.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Philipp M. Pelz, Alexander Rakowski, Luis Rangel DaCosta, Benjamin H. Savitzky, Mary C. Scott, Colin Ophus
Summary: STEM is a versatile method for studying atomic-scale materials, with PRISM algorithm helping to reduce calculation times for large STEM simulations. The partitioned PRISM STEM simulation method is more time-saving and requires less RAM compared to traditional methods, making it particularly useful for 4D-STEM simulations of large fields of view.
MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jin-Hu Dou, Maxx Q. Arguilla, Yi Luo, Jian Li, Weizhe Zhang, Lei Sun, Jenna L. Mancuso, Luming Yang, Tianyang Chen, Lucas R. Parent, Grigorii Skorupskii, Nicole J. Libretto, Chenyue Sun, Min Chieh Yang, Phat Vinh Dip, Edward J. Brignole, Jeffrey T. Miller, Jing Kong, Christopher H. Hendon, Junliang Sun, Mircea Dinca
Summary: Researchers have successfully grown single crystals of 2D metal-organic frameworks up to 200 µm in size by balancing in-plane and out-of-plane interactions, revealing anisotropic transport and a clear correlation between conductivity and the nature of the metal cation in the sheets.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dingguo Zheng, Siyuan Huang, Chunhui Zhu, Peng Xu, Zian Li, Hong Wang, Jun Li, Huanfang Tian, Huaixin Yang, Jianqi Li
Summary: The study analyzed the surface plasmonic nearfield structure based on PINEM observations of silver nanowires, revealing plasmon oscillations associated with typical absorption of photon quanta and analyzing the polarization dependence of plasmon wavelength and symmetry properties. By utilizing advanced imaging techniques, the research has implications for future studies of localized-field structures at interfaces and visualization of novel phenomena in nanostructures, nanosensors, and plasmonic devices.
Article
Polymer Science
Botao Hao, Zhiyuan Ding, Xudong Tao, Peter D. Nellist, Hazel E. Assender
Summary: Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a promising material in medical and packaging applications due to its biocompatibility, water solubility, low density, and cost-effectiveness. This study uses electron ptychography to image the crystallinity of PVA, revealing deviations from previous models derived from X-ray diffraction. A new model is proposed based on these findings, and simulated results confirm its accuracy. The ability to directly image molecular order in PVA crystals opens up new opportunities for research in this field.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ondrej Dyck, Jacob L. Swett, Andrew R. Lupini, Jan A. Mol, Stephen Jesse
Summary: Electron-beam-induced current imaging of graphene single layers can be used to distinguish between layers and characterize conductivity, which is crucial for engineering applications.
Article
Biology
Daan B. Boltje, Jacob P. Hoogenboom, Arjen J. Jakobi, Grant J. Jensen, Caspar T. H. Jonker, Max J. Kaag, Abraham J. Koster, Mart G. F. Last, Cecilia de Agrela Pinto, Juergen M. Plitzko, Stefan Raunser, Sebastian Tacke, Zhexin Wang, Ernest B. van der Wee, Roger Wepf, Sander den Hoedt, Suzanne R. Pfeffer
Summary: Cryo-ET combined with subtomogram averaging is a powerful technique for visualizing and determining the structure of macromolecular complexes. However, standard cryo-FIB fabrication used for sample preparation is blind to the precise location of structures or proteins of interest. In this study, a fluorescence microscopy-guided FIB fabrication method was developed to address this issue. By retrofitting a cryogenic microcooler and a fluorescence microscope onto an existing FIB scanning electron microscope, precise targeting at every milling step in the lamella fabrication process was achieved, resulting in improved success rate and throughput for high-resolution imaging.