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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...
Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

Scanning Electron Microscopy

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

Cryo-electron Microscopy

Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
Overview of Microscopy Techniques01:22

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...

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Precision Milling of Carbon Nanotube Forests Using Low Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy
08:10

Precision Milling of Carbon Nanotube Forests Using Low Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: February 5, 2017

Atomic-scale electron microscopy at ambient pressure.

J F Creemer1, S Helveg, G H Hoveling

  • 1DIMES-ECTM, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, The Netherlands. j.f.creemer@tudelft.nl

Ultramicroscopy
|June 17, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We developed a new nanoreactor for atomic-resolution environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM). This device allows real-time observation of nanomaterials interacting with gases at high temperatures and pressures, advancing in situ studies.

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Precision Milling of Carbon Nanotube Forests Using Low Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy
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Miniaturized Sample Preparation for Transmission Electron Microscopy
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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) enables studying materials under realistic conditions.
  • Observing dynamic nanoscale processes in situ requires specialized equipment capable of handling gas environments and high temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate a novel nanoreactor for atomic-resolution ETEM of nanostructured materials.
  • To enable in situ observation of nanomaterial behavior during gas exposure at ambient pressures and elevated temperatures.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) nanoreactor with a gas-flow channel, electron-transparent windows, and a heating device.
  • Integration of the nanoreactor into a standard transmission electron microscope sample holder.
  • In situ ETEM imaging of a Cu/ZnO catalyst during exposure to hydrogen gas at elevated temperatures and pressures.

Main Results:

  • Direct observation of copper (Cu) nanocrystal growth and mobility on a sub-second timescale.
  • Achieved atomic lattice fringe imaging with 0.18 nm spacing in Cu nanocrystals under reaction conditions.
  • Demonstrated the nanoreactor's capability to perform atomic-resolution ETEM at 500°C and 1.2 bar H2.

Conclusions:

  • The novel nanoreactor facilitates unprecedented in situ studies of nanomaterials under environmental conditions.
  • This technology opens new avenues for research in heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, and materials science.
  • The system's performance validates its potential for advancing the understanding of nanomaterial interactions in working environments.