Cryogenic electron microscopy for native state analysis of nanoparticles in liquids

用于液体中纳米粒子自然状态分析的低温电子显微镜

• 批准号: EP/R043388/1
• 负责人: Nicole Hondow
• 金额: $ 25.09万
• 依托单位: University of Leeds
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FR043388%2F1
• 关键词: Cryogenic; electron; microscopy; native; state

The success of a nanoparticle system designed for a specific application is contingent on controlling the interfacial chemistry (e.g. colloidal stability, overall size, etc). To truly understand this, we require approaches to probe and understand the interactions between nanoparticles and the environments they are dispersed in.This project will focus on developing methods to characterise nanoparticles dispersed in liquids. Electron microscopy is ideally suited to the analysis of nanoparticles, with the required spatial resolution to investigate the size and structure of nanoparticles, and the associated analytical tools, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and electron energy loss (EEL) spectroscopies, which provide composition and bonding information at the single particle level. The limitation, however, is the vacuum level required in an electron microscope therefore necessitates dry samples. This project will utilise a biological sample preparation approach where nanoparticles dispersed in a liquid are frozen and then analysed in an electron microscope at cryogenic temperatures, with the analytical capabilities used to probe the interactions between different nanoparticles, and between the nanoparticles and components of the liquid media they are suspended in.Two types of cryogenic (cryo-) electron microscopy will be investigated in this project; (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), with the limits of the techniques applied to frozen samples established. Rigorous characterisation of nanoparticles will enable understanding of their impact and prediction of behaviour. Two nanoparticle systems with biomedical applications will be used as model systems; for representative analysis this characterisation must be conducted in biologically relevant liquid media, and at the scale of the individual nanoparticle. The outcome of the project will be understanding the structure and dispersion of two model nanoparticle system when suspended in liquids, and the development and assessment of this nanoscale analytical approach, which can then be applied to further systems of importance.

为特定应用设计的纳米颗粒系统的成功取决于控制界面化学（例如胶体稳定性、总体尺寸等）。为了真正理解这一点，我们需要探索和理解纳米颗粒与它们分散的环境之间的相互作用的方法。本项目将重点开发分散在液体中的纳米颗粒的方法。电子显微镜非常适合分析纳米颗粒，具有所需的空间分辨率来研究纳米颗粒的尺寸和结构，以及相关的分析工具，能量色散X射线（EDX）和电子能量损失（EEL）光谱，可以提供单个颗粒水平的成分和键合信息。然而，限制是电子显微镜所需的真空水平，因此需要干燥样品。本项目将采用生物样品制备方法，将分散在液体中的纳米颗粒冷冻，然后在低温下在电子显微镜中进行分析，利用分析能力探测不同纳米颗粒之间以及纳米颗粒与其悬浮的液体介质成分之间的相互作用。（扫描）透射电子显微镜（（S）TEM）和聚焦离子束扫描电子显微镜（FIB-SEM），与适用于冷冻样品的技术的限制建立。对纳米粒子的严格表征将使人们能够理解它们的影响并预测其行为。两个具有生物医学应用的纳米颗粒系统将被用作模型系统;对于代表性分析，必须在生物相关的液体介质中进行这种表征，并以单个纳米颗粒的规模进行。该项目的成果将是了解两种模型纳米颗粒系统悬浮在液体中时的结构和分散，以及这种纳米级分析方法的开发和评估，然后可以应用于其他重要系统。

项目成果

Struvite Crystallisation and the Effect of Co2+ Ions

鸟粪石结晶和 Co2 离子的影响

• DOI: 10.3390/min9090503
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Minerals
• 影响因子: 2.5
• 作者: Hövelmann J

In situ electron microscopy techniques for nanoparticle dispersion analysis of commercial sunscreen

用于商业防晒霜纳米颗粒分散分析的原位电子显微镜技术

• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-023-05769-4
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Journal of Nanoparticle Research
• 影响因子: 2.5
• 作者: Ilett M

Beam-induced oxidation of mixed-valent Fe (oxyhydr)oxides (green rust) monitored by STEM-EELS.

• DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2019.02.002
• 发表时间: 2019-07
• 期刊: Micron
• 影响因子: 2.4
• 作者: H. Freeman;J. Perez;N. Hondow;L. Benning;A. Brown