In situ TEM Holder for Investigating the Real-time Behaviors of Nanomaterials in the Native Working Environment

自早期的透射电子显微镜（TEM）以来，它已被用于通过顺序记录图像集来跟踪由一个或多个外部刺激引起的动态过程。在理想的原位TEM实验中，应同时记录施加在样品上的受控故意刺激（输入）以及随后的结构和物理性质变化（输出），以了解相关性。与非原位TEM实验相比，原位实验提供了一个过程的连续视图，否则必须通过许多非原位实验来模拟。 原位TEM还擅长捕捉非原位实验几乎不可能捕捉到的瞬态现象。** 例如，Zhi Li博士使用位于Sandia国家实验室的TEM设备研究了Sb薄膜阳极的原位钠化过程，并观察到钠化膜与集电器的时间依赖性屈曲和局部分离，表明Na嵌入诱导的应力在几天的时间尺度内缓慢松弛（Nano Lett.，2015，15，6339）。如果实验在非原位进行，而不连续观察钠化后的相同薄膜，则屈曲现象很容易被误认为是薄膜中的原始伪影。然而，纳米材料的行为受到工作环境的强烈影响，因为纳米材料中的大部分原子位于表面并与环境相互作用。不幸的是，没有真实的电池被设计成在类似于TEM室中的高真空环境中工作，这限制了我们研究结果的实际影响。事实上，这种限制适用于大多数的原位TEM工作。** 基于MEMS芯片的原位TEM系统的最新进展通过在TEM内部创建微型单元并提供所需的液体或气体环境提供了完美的解决方案。在此，来自阿尔伯塔大学化学和材料工程系的三名研究人员与nanoFAB合作，通过RTI计划请求部分资金支持，用于购买原位TEM保持器系统，以支持几个正在进行的NSERC研究项目。所要求的设备将安装在一个先进的像差校正S/TEM与冷场发射枪作为电子源的最佳结果。这个集成系统将大大加快我们在开发长效电池以存储加拿大生产的绿色电力、为阿尔伯塔的油砂工业制造耐用催化剂以及了解生物纳米材料的真实行为（例如，纳米纤维素），这对加拿大的林业至关重要。**

Since the earliest days of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), it has been adapted to track dynamic processes caused by one or more external stimuli by sequentially recording sets of images. In an ideal in situ TEM experiment, the controlled deliberate stimulus applied on the sample (input) and the consequent change in structure and physical properties (output) should be recorded simultaneously to understand the correlation. Compared to the ex situ TEM experiments, the in situ experiment provides a continuous view of a process, which otherwise has to be simulated through numerous ex situ experiments. In situ TEM is also good at capturing transient phenomena which are nearly impossible for ex situ experiments. ******For instance, Dr. Zhi Li investigated the in situ sodiation processes of Sb thin film anode using the TEM facility located at Sandia National Lab and observed the time-dependent buckling and localized separation of the sodiated films from current collectors, indicating that the Na intercalation-induced stress is slowly relaxed in a time scale of days (Nano Lett., 2015,15, 6339). If the experiments were carried out ex situ without continuously observing the same thin-film upon sodiation, the buckling phenomena could be easily misidentified as pristine artifacts in the thin-film. However, the behavior of nanomaterials is strongly affected by working environments because a large proportion of atoms in nanomaterials are located at the surface and interact with environments. Unfortunately, no real batteries are designed to be operated in the environment similar to the high-vacuum in a TEM chamber, which limits the practical impact of our research findings. In fact, this limitation applies to most of the in situ TEM work. ******The recent advances in in situ TEM system based on MEMS chips provides a perfect solution by creating a miniature cell inside the TEM and provide the required liquid or gaseous environment. Herein, three researchers from the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta in collaboration with nanoFAB, request partial finance support through the RTI program for the purchase of an in-situ TEM holder system to support several on-going NSERC research projects. The requested equipment will be installed on an advanced aberration-corrected S/TEM with a cold field-emission gun as an electron source for the best results. This integrated system will significantly speed up our efforts in developing long-lasting batteries to store the green electricity produced in Canada, fabricating robust catalysts for the oil sands industry in Alberta, and understanding the true behaviors of bionanomaterials (e.g., nanocellulose) which are critical for the forest industry in Canada. **