MRI: Acquisition of Active Holders for in-situ and in-operando Transmission Electron Microscope Experiments

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This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of advanced instrumentation for a user-based in-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) testing facility at the University of Missouri. The instrumentation will enable dynamic testing of diverse samples while imaging. This includes a gas-phase test cell with residual gas analyzer, a liquid-phase test cell with electrochemical capabilities, and a vacuum cell with heating and biasing capabilities. To eliminate the undesirable image drift that traditionally stifles in-situ TEM experiments, the instrument will also provide active image stabilization. The instrument suite will be installed in the University of Missouri Electron Microscopy Center and will be accessible for educational and industrial users.The suite of instrumentation has diverse application in biological and materials-based research. Example activities include the following projects: The activity of Pt electrocatalysts and carbon nanotube catalyst systems will be examined with atomic resolution at elevated temperatures using the Protochips Atmosphere system. The on-board residual gas analyzer will provide a quantitative measurement of gas composition change as catalyst particles activate and de-activate. The self-assembly of colloidal nanoparticles and biomolecules will be enabled by the Protochips Poseidon Select. Precise three-dimensional tracking of individual particles is enabled by the Protochips Axon Synchronicity system. The in-operando formation of interphase materials at cathode/solid electrolyte junctions under electrical current will be examined using the Fusion Select system. All experiments will benefit from the dynamic hardware and software-enabled stabilization provided by the Protochips Axon Synchronicity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.