High-resolution cryo-EM using a common LaB 120-keV electron microscope equipped with a sub-200-keV direct electron detector.

High-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) requires costly 200- to 300-keV cryo-transmission electron microscopes (cryo-TEMs) with field emission gun (FEG) sources, stable columns, constant-powered lenses, autoloader, and direct electron detectors (DED). Recent advances in 100-keV imaging with the emergence of sub-200-keV optimized DED technology promises the development of more affordable cryo-TEMs. So far, 100-keV imaging has required microscopes with FEG sources.

High-resolution single-particle imaging at 100-200 keV with the Gatan Alpine direct electron detector.

Developments in direct electron detector technology have played a pivotal role in enabling high-resolution structural studies by cryo-EM at 200 and 300 keV. Yet, theory and recent experiments indicate advantages to imaging at 100 keV, energies for which the current detectors have not been optimized. In this study, we evaluated the Gatan Alpine detector, designed for operation at 100 and 200 keV.

Formation of two-dimensional transition metal oxide nanosheets with nanoparticles as intermediates.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted significant interest because of their large surface-to-volume ratios and electron confinement. Compared to common 2D materials such as graphene or metal hydroxides, with their intrinsic layered atomic structures, the formation mechanisms of 2D metal oxides with a rocksalt structure are not well understood. Here, we report the formation process for 2D cobalt oxide and cobalt nickel oxide nanosheets, after analysis by in situ liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy.

Dynamics of Nanoscale Dendrite Formation in Solution Growth Revealed Through in Situ Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy.

Formation mechanisms of dendrite structures have been extensively explored theoretically, and many theoretical predictions have been validated for micro- or macroscale dendrites. However, it is challenging to determine whether classical dendrite growth theories are applicable at the nanoscale due to the lack of detailed information on the nanodendrite growth dynamics. Here, we study iron oxide nanodendrite formation using liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM).