• 文献标题:   Verification of water presence in graphene liquid cells
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   KESKIN S, PAWELL C, DE JONGE N
  • 作者关键词:   transmission electron microscopy, tem, stem, bubble, electron energy loss spectroscopy
  • 出版物名称:   MICRON
  • ISSN:   0968-4328 EI 1878-4291
  • 通讯作者地址:  
  • 被引频次:   7
  • DOI:   10.1016/j.micron.2021.103109 EA JUL 2021
  • 出版年:   2021

▎ 摘  要

Graphene liquid cells (GLCs) present the thinnest possible sample enclosures for liquid phase electron microscopy. However, the actual presence of liquid within a GLC is not always guaranteed. Of key importance is to reliably test the presence of the liquid, which is most frequently water or saline. Here, the commonly used methods for verifying the presence of water were evaluated. It is shown that depending on the type of sample, applying a single criterion does not always conclusively verify the presence of water. Testing liquid filling for a specific GLC sample preparation protocol should thus be considered critically. The most reliable method is direct observation of the water exciton peak using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). But if this method cannot be carried out, water filling of the GLC can be verified from a combination of higher contrast in the image, the presence of bubbles, and an oxygen signal in the EEL spectrum, which can be accomplished at a high electron dose in spot mode. Nanoparticle movement does not always occur in a GLC.