Cs corrected STEM EELS: Analysing beam sensitive carbon nanomaterials in cellular structures.
Identification of individual single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) within a cellular structure can provide vital information towards understanding the potential mechanisms of uptake, their localisation and whether their structure is transformed within a cell. To be able to image an individual SWNT in such an environment a resolution is required that is not usually appropriate for biological sections. Standard transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques such as bright field imaging of these cellular structures result in very weak contrast. Traditionally, researchers have stained the cells with heavy metal stains to enhance the cellular structure, however this can lead to confusion when analysing the samples at high resolution. Subsequently, alternative methods have been investigated to allow high resolution imaging and spectroscopy to identify SWNTs within the cell; here we will concentrate on the sample preparation and experimental methods used to achieve such resolution.
Gass
Mhairi H
MH
SuperSTEM, Daresbury Lab, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK. m.h.gass@liv.ac.uk
Porter
Alexandra E
AE
Bendall
James S
JS
Muller
Karin
K
Skepper
Jeremy N
JN
Midgley
Paul A
PA
Welland
Mark
M
D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D017348:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D046590:Spectroscopy, Electron Energy-Loss / Q000379:methods*
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon