Applications of Cryogenic Electron Microscopy in Characterizing Electrochemical Materials and Interfaces

Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has extensively boosted structural biology research since the “resolution revolution” in the year of 2013 which was soon awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017. The advances in camera techniques and software algorithms enabled cryo-EM to routinely characterize the three-dimensional structures of biomolecules at near-atomic resolution. Biomolecules are basically sensitive to electron irradiation damage, which can be minimized at cryo-temperature. This principle has inspired material scientists to characterize electron beam- or air-sensitive materials by cryo-EM, such as the electrodes in the lithium-ion battery, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) and zeolites. In addition, the reaction systems can be fast-frozen at vitreous ice in cryo-EM, which correspondingly preserves the materials at the close-to-native state. Herein, we summarized the development and applications of both the cryo-EM technique and other emerging cryo-techniques in materials science, and energy storage and conversion. Cryo-EM techniques, capable of the direct observation of sensitive materials and electrochemical reaction processes, will greatly renew our understanding of materials science and related mechanisms.

Supercritical fluid technology in materials science and engineering , Supercritical fluid technology in materials science and engineering , کتابخانه مرکزی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران

Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a groundbreaking technology for 3D visualisation and analysis of biomolecules in the context of cellular structures. It allows structural investigations of single proteins as well as their spatial arrangements within the cell. Cryo-tomograms provide a snapshot of the complex, heterogeneous and transient subcellular environment. Due to the excellent structure preservation in amorphous ice, it is possible to study interactions and spatial relationships of proteins in their native state without interference caused by chemical fixatives or contrasting agents. With the introduction of focused ion beam (FIB) technology, the preparation of cellular samples for electron tomography has become much easier and faster. The latest generation of integrated FIB and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) instruments (dual beam microscopes), specifically designed for cryo-applications, provides advances in automation, imaging and the preparation of high-pressure frozen bulk samples using cryo-lift-out technology. In addition, correlative cryo-fluorescence microscopy provides cellular targeting information through integrated software and hardware interfaces. The rapid advances, based on the combination of correlative cryo-microscopy, cryo-FIB and cryo-ET, have already led to a wealth of new insights into cellular processes and provided new 3D image data of the cell. Here we introduce our recent developments within the cryo-tomography workflow, and we discuss the challenges that lie ahead. LAY DESCRIPTION: This article describes our recent developments for the cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) workflow. Cryo-ET offers superior structural preservation and provides 3D snapshots of the interior of vitrified cells at molecular resolution. Before a cellular sample can be imaged by cryo-ET, it must be made accessible for transmission electron microscopy. This is achieved by preparing a 200-300 nm thin cryo-lamella from the cellular sample using a cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) microscope. Cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM) is used within the workflow to guide the cryo-lamella preparation to the cellular areas of interest. We cover a basic introduction of the cryo-ET workflow and show new developments for cryo-CLEM, which facilitate the connection between the cryo-light microscope and the cryo-FIB. Next, we present our progress in cryo-FIB software automation to streamline cryo-lamella preparation. In the final section we demonstrate how the cryo-FIB can be used for 3D imaging and how bulk-frozen cellular samples (obtained by high-pressure freezing) can be processed using the newly developed cryo-lift-out technology.

Accurate modeling of tau protein aggregation in diverse cell systems, such as fluorescently tagged tau-expressing cell lines or 'biosensor' cells, is crucial for advancing tauopathy research. This encompasses understanding the early stages of tau fibril formation and localization within these cells, a vital but underexplored aspect in studying these neurodegenerative diseases. Our aim was to elucidate the structure and formation of tau fibrils in fluorescently tagged tau-expressing cell lines and iPSC- derived human neurons, assessing their resemblance to amyloid structures in tauopathies and exploring early stages of fibril formation. We employed a suite of advanced imaging techniques, including cryo-confocal microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), and cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) milling, to analyze tau fibrils in these cell models seeded with brain extracts from tauopathy cases and recombinant tau. Our findings demonstrate that these cell lines can form amyloid structures similar to neurofibrillary tangles found in tauopathies. Cryo-EM and cryo-ET analyses revealed cross-β sheets and protein chains spaced 4.7Å apart. Our preliminary data using cryo-FIB and cryo-ET provide insights into the early stages of fibril formation and localization within the cells. These findings support the use of fluorescently tagged tau-expressing cell lines as valid models for studying tau fibril formation in tauopathies and lay a foundation for further understanding the early development of these conditions in cell models. This research was generously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Accurate modeling of tau protein aggregation in diverse cell systems, such as fluorescently tagged tau-expressing cell lines or 'biosensor' cells, is crucial for advancing tauopathy research. This encompasses understanding the early stages of tau fibril formation and localization within these cells, a vital but underexplored aspect in studying these neurodegenerative diseases. Our aim was to elucidate the structure and formation of tau fibrils in fluorescently tagged tau-expressing cell lines and iPSC- derived human neurons, assessing their resemblance to amyloid structures in tauopathies and exploring early stages of fibril formation. We employed a suite of advanced imaging techniques, including cryo-confocal microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), and cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) milling, to analyze tau fibrils in these cell models seeded with brain extracts from tauopathy cases and recombinant tau. Our findings demonstrate that these cell lines can form amyloid structures similar to neurofibrillary tangles found in tauopathies. Cryo-EM and cryo-ET analyses revealed cross-β sheets and protein chains spaced 4.7Å apart. Our preliminary data using cryo-FIB and cryo-ET provide insights into the early stages of fibril formation and localization within the cells. These findings support the use of fluorescently tagged tau-expressing cell lines as valid models for studying tau fibril formation in tauopathies and lay a foundation for further understanding the early development of these conditions in cell models. This research was generously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

IWMSME2018 PREFACEDuring the beautiful fall from October 26th to 28th, 2018, the 2nd International Workshop on Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering (IWMSME2018) was successfully held at the port city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. The conference attracted more than 100 high-quality papers from esteemed researchers around the world. This conference was another very productive event since our inaugural 2017 International Workshop on Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering (IMSME2017) at beautiful Kunming City, Yunnan Province in October 2017 (http://www.iwmsme.org/2017/).The goals of IWMSME Workshop Series are 1) to provide an excellent international academic platform for sharing knowledge, 2) to publish new theory, methodology, and applications of Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering, and 3) to meet and share cutting-edge development in the fields.The organizer and conference chair would like to thank authors who submitted such high-quality papers and shared their research findings at the conference. We also want to acknowledge the Technical Program Committee who assisted the reviewing process. We had received about 300 papers. And after strict review process, IWMSME2018 accepted 115 high-quality papers to be published by IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. The theme of the 2018 conference are:1. Material synthesis and manufacturing process2. Structure and properties relationship models3. Methods development4. Model and simulation optimizationWe here at IWMSME are happy to report that the aim of this year’s conference is met. We not only bring the academic and industry community in China and around the world together but also publish 115 of high-quality research papers. The unique program combined presentation of the latest scientific developments in materials and manufacturing sectors. The papers investigated the structure and property relationship, optimized the manufacturing process, developed the new methods and modeling tools, and provided a fundamental understanding of the materials and manufacturing worlds. Overall, the conference was able to provide the audience the opportunities of interactive discussions and other forms of interpersonal exchange of experiences. We hope to see you again the next year!Conference ChairDr. Hua-Jun FanDepartment of ChemistryPrairie View A&M UniversityTexas, USA

IWMSME2017 PrefaceThe 2017 International Workshop on Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering (IWMSME2017) was held during October 27th-29th, 2017 in Kunming, Yunnan, China. It is an excellent international academic forum for sharing knowledge and results in theory, methodology and applications of materials science and mechanical engineering. The workshop looks for significant contributions to all major fields of materials science and mechanical engineering. The aim of the workshop is to provide a platform to the global researchers and practitioners from both academia as well as industry to meet and share cutting-edge development in the fields.For this workshop, we have got support of editors, keynote speakers, TPC members and authors from more than 30 countries. The international Program Committee worked very hard to have all papers peer-peer reviewed before the review deadline. The three keynote speakers and other participants have made quite creditable presentations at the workshop. We received 208 paper submissions. After hundrands of TPC members’ extremely strict peer-reviewing, 64 papers are accepted for publication by IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Online ISSN: 1757-899X Print ISSN: 1757-8981).

The re∞ection of short duration electromagnetic pulses from dielectric media is of interest in diverse technological applications, e.g., geophysics, material science and biomedical engineering. In this paper, the time domain pulse re∞ection from a dispersive lossy dielectric half space is investigated. The properties of a half space are described in frequency domain by the Debye and Cole-Cole models, respectively. The two models are commonly used to capture the relaxation-based dispersive properties. First, transient re∞ected pulses are analyzed and waveform parameters are estimated. Then, based on the estimation, the relationships between the waveform parameters of re∞ected pulses and the properties of dispersive material as well as incident angles are discussed. Meanwhile, the results obtained with the Debye model are compared to those obtained with the Cole-Cole model. The application of these results to material characterization and diagnosis is explored. There is excellent agreement between our results and those in the literature, which validates the correctness and efiectiveness of this work. Our technique is based on the numerical inversion of the Laplace transform, leads to good accuracy, and has a simple algorithm, short calculation time, small required memory size, readily controlled error and wide range of applicability. The knowledge of material properties is required in various technological flelds, such as geophysics, material science and biomedical engineering. The characterization of bulk materials would be the most direct way to acquire this knowledge and greatly helpful to understand the underlying physics at the microscopic level, which is much more complicated in comparison with the existing formula- tions of the bulk efiects. A typical approach to bulk material characterization is to examine re∞ected electromagnetic pulses from the interface between free space and the investigated material. Many kinds of materials show the relaxation-based dispersive properties that are commonly captured by the Debye (1) and Cole-Cole (2) models. The transient analysis of pulses re∞ected from a dispersive interface can be conducted in frequency domain flrst. Then the results in time domain may be ob- tained by carrying out a numerical Fourier transform of the frequency domain response. However, this is very time consuming since a wide frequency range needs to be considered. Furthermore, it is preferable to solve the problems directly in time domain under certain circumstances. The flnite difierence time domain (FDTD) technique can be applied to this problem, but computation costs can be high under some conditions. Rothwell (3) worked out the time domain re∞ection coe-cients of a Debye half space for both horizontal and vertical polarizations that involve exponential and modifled Bessel functions and require convolution operations to evaluate. To our knowledge, the time domain re∞ection coe-cient of a Cole-Cole half space for any polarization has been not avail- able so far. It is the purpose of this paper to develop a new technique for transient analysis of pulse re∞ection from Debye and Cole-Cole media, and apply this technique to waveform parameter estimation and material characterization. This technique is based on the numerical inversion of the Laplace transform and has several signiflcant advantages.

Alphaviruses are spherical, enveloped RNA viruses with two-layered icosahedral architecture. The structures of many alphaviruses have been studied using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) reconstructions, which impose icosahedral symmetry on the viral particles. Using cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET), we revealed a polarized symmetry defect in the icosahedral lattice of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in situ, similar to the late budding particles, suggesting the inherent imperfect symmetry originates from the final pinch-off of assembled virions. We further demonstrated this imperfect symmetry is also present in in vitro purified CHIKV and Mayaro virus, another arthritogenic alphavirus. We employed a subparticle-based single-particle analysis protocol to circumvent the icosahedral imperfection and boosted the resolution of the structure of the CHIKV to ∼3 Å resolution, which revealed detailed molecular interactions between glycoprotein E1-E2 heterodimers in the transmembrane region and multiple lipid-like pocket factors located in a highly conserved hydrophobic pocket. This complementary use of in situ cryo-ET and single-particle cryo-EM approaches provides a more precise structural description of near-icosahedral viruses and valuable insights to guide the development of structure-based antiviral therapies against alphaviruses.

PrefaceThe 5th annual 2017 International Conference on Material Science and Environmental Engineering [MSEE2017] was held in Xiamen, Fujian, China during Dec. 15-17th, 2017. MSEE2017 aims to bring researchers, engineers, and students to the areas of Material Science and Environmental Engineering. MSEE2017 features unique mixed topics of Material Science and Advanced Materials, Material Engineering and Application, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Renewable Energy and Building Energy Saving, Environmental Science and Engineering.We received over 365 submissions from various parts of the world. The Technical Program Committee worked very hard to have all manuscripts reviewed before the review deadline. The final technical program consists of 168 papers. All the accepted papers have been submitted to strict peer-review by 2-4 referees, and selected based on originality, significance and clarity for the purpose of the conference. The conference program is extremely rich, profound and featuring high-impact presentations of selected papers and additional late-breaking contributions. We sincerely hope that the conference would not only show the participants a broad overview of the latest research results on related fields, but also provide them with a significant platform for academic connection and exchange. There is one keynote speaker and five invited sessions. The keynote speakers are internationally recognized leading experts in their research fields, who have demonstrated outstanding proficiency and have achieved distinction in their profession. The proceedings would be published by IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (MSE).We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the members of Technical Program Committee and organizers for their enthusiasm, time, and expertise. Our deep thanks also go to many volunteers and staffs for the long hours and hard work they have generously given to MSEE2017. The last but not least, we would like to thank all the authors, speaker and participants for their great contributions to the success of MSEE2017.MSEE2017 Organizing CommitteeProf. Ke WangHuaqiao University

Preface6th annual 2018 International Conference on Material Science and Environmental Engineering [MSEE 2018] was held on November 23rd-25th, 2018, Chongqing, China. MSEE2018 aims to bring researchers, engineers, and students to the areas of Material Science and Environmental Engineering. MSEE2018 features unique mixed topics of Material Science and Advanced Materials, Material Engineering and Application, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Renewable Energy and Building Energy Saving, Environmental Science and Engineering.We received over 275 submissions from various parts of the world. The Technical Program Committee worked very hard to have all manuscripts reviewed before the review deadline. All the accepted papers have been submitted to strict peer-review by 2-4 referees, and selected based on originality, significance and clarity for the purpose of the conference. The conference program is extremely rich, profound and featuring high-impact presentations of selected papers and additional late-breaking contributions. We sincerely hope that the conference would not only show the participants a broad overview of the latest research results on related fields, but also provide them with a significant platform for academic connection and exchange. There is one keynote speaker and five invited sessions. The keynote speakers are internationally recognized leading experts in their research fields, who have demonstrated outstanding proficiency and have achieved distinction in their profession. The proceedings would be published by IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (MSE).We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the members of Technical Program Committee and organizers for their enthusiasm, time, and expertise. Our deep thanks also go to many volunteers and staffs for the long hours and hard work they have generously given to MSEE2018. The last but not least, we would like to thank all the authors, speaker and participants for their great contributions to the success of MSEE2018.MSEE2018 Organizing CommitteeProf. Ke WangEast China University of Technology, China

Custom metallic electron microscopy grids reduce sample heating in super-resolved cryogenic correlative light and electron microscopy experiments

Safe and high-energy-density rechargeable batteries are increasingly indispensable in the pursuit of a wireless and fossil-free society. Advancements in present battery technologies and the investigation of next-generation batteries highly depend on the ever-deepening fundamental understanding and the rational designs of working electrodes, electrolytes, and interfaces. However, accurately analyzing energy materials and interfaces is severely hindered by their intrinsic limitations of air and electron-beam sensitivity, which restrains the research of energy materials in a low-efficiency trial-and-error paradigm. The emergence of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enabled the nondestructive characterization of air- and electron-beam sensitive energy materials in the microscale and nanoscale, and even at atomic resolutions, affording closer insights into the primary chemistry and physics of working batteries. Herein, the development of cryo-EM and the applications in detecting energy materials are reviewed and analyzed from its overwhelming advantages in disclosing the underlying mystery of energy materials. Critical sample preparation methods as the precondition for cryo-EM are compared, which strongly affect the characterization accuracy. Furthermore, new developments in the analysis of energy materials, especially bulk electrodes and interfaces in lithium metal batteries, are presented according to different functions of cryo-EM. Finally, future directions of cryo-EM for analyzing energy materials are prospected.

The 2019 International Conference on Civil Engineering, Environment Resources and Energy Materials (CCESEM 2019), hosted by school of Civil Engineering, North China University of Technology, has been held on September 20-22, 2019 in Beijing, China. The conference was strongly supported by North China University of Technology, Yantai University, Nanning Normal University, National Donghua University, National Union University and Universiti Teknologi MARA. Thanks for their Support and the active participation of experts and scholars at home and abroad, the conference has been a success.The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in Civil Engineering, Environment Resources and Energy Materials and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in Civil Engineering, Environment Resources and Energy Materials and related areas.The conference was focus on building technology science and structural engineering, building environment and public safety, energy, chemical and environmental coordination materials, power engineering and control systems and other fields. At the conference, the speaker’s professional speech was unanimously recognized by the audience. During the meeting, participants actively participated in the interaction. The students who attended the meeting also had a wonderful discussion on the theme of the meeting. The meeting was unanimously praised.List of Organizing Committees are avilable in the pdf.

Cathode-Electrolyte Interphase in Lithium Batteries Revealed by Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

The 2016 International Conference on Materials Science, Energy Technology and Environmental Engineering (MSETEE 2016) took place May 28-29, 2016 in Zhuhai City, China. MSETEE 2016 brought together academics and industrial experts in the field of materials science, energy technology and environmental engineering. The primary goal of the conference was to promote research and developmental activities in these research areas and to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working around the world. The conference will be held every year serving as platform for researchers to share views and experience in materials science, energy technology and environmental engineering and related areas.