title: Nanocuvette: A Functional Ultrathin Liquid Container for Transmission Electron Microscopy.
abstract: Advances in TEM techniques have spurred a renewed interest in a wide variety of research fields. A rather recent track within these endeavors is the use of TEM for in situ imaging in liquids. In this article, we show the fabrication of a liquid cell for TEM observations which we call the nanocuvette. The structure consists of a nanohole film sandwiched by carbon films, sealing liquid in the holes. The hole film can be produced using a variety of materials, tailored for the desired application. Since the fabrication is based on self-assembly, it is both cheap and straightforward. Compared to previously reported liquid cells, this structure allows for thinner liquid layers with better controlled cell structures, making it possible to achieve a high resolution even at lower acceleration voltages and electron doses. We demonstrate a resolution corresponding to an information transfer up to ∼2 nm at 100 kV for molecular imaging. Apart from the advantages arising from the thin liquid layer, the nanocuvette also enables the possibility to study liquid-solid interfaces at the side walls of the nanoholes. We illustrate the possibilities of the nanocuvette by studying several model systems: electron beam induced growth dynamics of silver nanoparticles in salt solution, polymer deposition from solution, and imaging of nonstained antibodies in solution. Finally, we show how the inclusion of a plasmonically active gold layer in the nanocuvette structure enables optical confirmation of successful liquid encapsulation prior to TEM studies. The nanocuvette provides an easily fabricated and flexible platform which can help further the understanding of reactions, processes, and conformation of molecules and atoms in liquid environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology , 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 Japan.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2809-9386
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wadell
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology , 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology , 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 Japan.
authors.forename: Tomiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology , 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 Japan.
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology , 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology , 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 Japan.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sannomiya
keywords: colloidal lithography; liquid cell; molecular imaging; nanoparticles; plasmonic nanopore; polymer deposition; transmission electron microscopy