Imaging of hygroscopic, permeable, and electron-absorbing biological cells under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been a challenge due to the volumetric-shrinkage, electrostatic charging, and structural degradation of cells under high vacuum and fixed electron beam. This talk will demonstrate that bacterial cells and nanomaterials solution can be encased within impermeable graphenic chamber to preserve their dimensional, chemical and topological characteristics under high vacuum (10-5 Torr) and beam current (150 A/cm2). The pi-clouds at the interstitial sites of graphene's lattice reduces the graphene's permeability from 7.6 - 20 nm/s to 0 nm/s. The C-C bond flexibility enables conformal encasement of cells. Additionally, graphene's high Young's modulus retains cell's structural integrity under TEM conditions, while its high electrical and thermal conductivity significantly abates electrostatic-charging. We envision that the graphenic encasement approach will facilitate real-time TEM imaging of biochemical activity.

Graphene encasement for retaining the wet-behavior of living cells and solution-dispersed nanomaterials

245th National Meeting (2013)

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