Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning TEM (STEM) are extremely powerful techniques for characterizing nanomaterials in due to the high spatial resolution, the ability to determine internal and 3D structures and the possibility of obtaining elemental information through the use of energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Due to the high vacuum requirement of the microscope column, nanoparticles in solution are typically imaged through one of two techniques a) dehydration onto a TEM grid (dry state TEM) or b) vitrification of thin films of solution on a TEM grid (cryo-TEM).Recent developments in microchip fabrication have allowed for the commercialization of vacuum tight flow cells with 'electron transparent' silicon nitride windows. This technology permits TEM of nanoparticles in liquids at ambient temperatures and pressures and has been used to observe inorganic nanoparticle motion and growth. The ability to image metal containing polymer colloids/nanoparticles in liquids at high magnification promises to be an exciting avenue of research.Here we show that metal containing polymer nanoparticles can be imaged in liquids, allowing their motion and growth to be observed in-situ. We also investigate damage mechanisms under different imaging conditions and discuss the difficulties and limitations of observing particle formation in-situ. Prior to any quantitative analysis of these systems, the optimal conditions, free of artifacts must be found.

In-situ liquid transmission electron microscopy (ISL-TEM) for the analysis of metal containing polymer nanoparticles

248th National Meeting (2014)

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