Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscopy

Abstract

AbstractDynamic transmission electron microscopy (DTEM) combines the benefits of high spatial resolution electron microscopy with the high temporal resolution of ultrafast lasers. The incorporation of these two components into a single instrument provides a perfect platform forin situobservations of material processes. However, previous applications for the first‐generation DTEM have focused primarily on observing structural changes occurring in samples exposed to high vacuum and have demonstrated a spatial resolution of 8 nm with a combined 15 ns temporal resolution. Yet, improved spatial resolution will be necessary for understanding dynamics of individual particles rather than bulk materials or thin films. Therefore, in order to expand the pump–probe experimental regime to more natural environmental conditions,in situgas and liquid chambers must be coupled with a second‐generation aberration‐corrected DTEM that has been modeled to achieve better than 0.3 nm spatial resolution with 1 μs temporal resolution. This chapter describes the current and future applications ofin situliquid DTEM to permit time‐resolved atomic scale observations in an aqueous environment. Although this chapter focuses mostly onin situliquid imaging, the same research potential exists forin situgas experiments and the successful integration of these techniques promises new insights for understanding nanoparticle, catalyst, and biological protein dynamics with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution.