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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
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Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles
Published on: October 16, 2017
Visualizing Millisecond Atomic Dynamics of Nanocrystals in Liquid.
Sungsu Kang1,2, Jinho Rhee3, Joodeok Kim3
1Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 18, 2026
Summary
We visualized atomic dynamics of gold nanocrystals in liquid using advanced electron microscopy. Transient structural changes in these nanomaterials are linked to their stability and reactivity.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Nanomaterial atomic structures are dynamic, especially at smaller scales.
- Capturing these dynamics in reactive settings at high spatial and temporal resolution is difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To visualize atomic-scale dynamics of gold (Au) nanocrystals in liquid environments.
- To understand how transient nanoscale structures influence material stability and reactivity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized millisecond-speed liquid-cell electron microscopy (EM).
- Employed deep-learning denoising techniques for enhanced imaging.
- Studied gold (Au) nanocrystals in reactive liquid conditions.
Main Results:
- Directly visualized reversible fluctuations in local crystallinity of Au nanocrystals.
- Observed that these fluctuations depend on the surrounding chemical environment.
- Linked interfacial interactions to dissolution kinetics and grain boundary relaxation.
Conclusions:
- Overcame spatiotemporal limitations in liquid-cell EM.
- Provided insights into how transient nanoscale structures govern nanomaterial stability and reactivity.
- Demonstrated the importance of interfacial dynamics in nanomaterial behavior.
