Atmosphere System Media

Learn about Protochips' groundbreaking in situ gas cell for TEM.

An Fe nanoparticle etching few-layer graphene (FLG) at 900 degrees C and 600 Torr of H2. The Fe nanoparticle preferentially etches the graphene along specific crystallographic directions.

Credit: SI-IPCMS-CNRS/University of Strasbourg, France: G. Melinte, S. Moldovan and O. Ersen

This is an introduction to the basic performance of the Atmosphere system for conducting in situ environmental TEM studies,

Listen to leading researchers from industry and academia present their findings on directly observing the oxidation and reduction of heterogeneous catalysts.

Listen to some of the pioneering researchers in the field of in situ environmental electron microscopy present their results using the Atmosphere gas Cell.

#FindYourBreakthrough | FLASH TALKS: EP #3

Iron-silica Interaction During Reduction of Precipitated Silica-promoted Iron
Oxides Using In Situ XRD and TEM

Presented by: Dr. Jaco Olivier from Nelson Mandela University. Read the full publication here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926860X21000454?via%3Dihub

#FindYourBreakthrough | FLASH TALKS: EP #6

Dynamic Restructuring of Supported Metal Nanoparticles and its Implications for Structure Insensitive Catalysis

Presented by: Dr. Charlotte Vogt from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Read the full publication here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27474-3

#FindYourBreakthrough | FLASH TALKS: EP #

Formation mechanism of high-index faceted Pt-Bi alloy nanoparticles by evaporation-induced growth from metal salts

Presented by: Dr. Kunmo Koo from Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center. Read the full publication here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39458-6

Products featured: Protochips Atmosphere AX gas cell system for TEM with AXON machine vision software

#FindYourBreakthrough | FLASH TALKS: EP #17

High-Entropy-Alloy Nanocrystal Based Macro- and Mesoporous Materials

In this flash talk, a soft-chemistry route to fabricate ordered macro- and mesoporous materials based on high-entropy alloy nanoparticles is introduced. In situ electron microscopy is used to observe the stability of these newly formed nanoparticles under atmosphere.

Presented by: Dr. Maria de Marco from the Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris (LCMCP) and the Institut de Physique et Chimie de Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS). Read the full publication here:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.2c05465

Products featured: Protochips AtmosphereAX

Dr. Sharmin Sharna | IFP Energies Nouvelles

Dr. Sharna will explore the dynamic nanoscale transformations of copper-based materials through Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). The Protochips Atmosphere system has been employed to expose the materials to diverse gaseous atmospheres at varying temperatures.
The investigation will predominantly focus on two distinct systems: copper nanoparticles and the more complex heterogeneous Cu/Al2O3 material. A systematic exploration of morphological changes in response to varying redox conditions will be presented, providing insights into the nuanced behavior of these materials at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, the discussion will address experimental challenges inherent to high-temperature reactions, offering valuable perspectives on navigating complexities in studying materials under extreme thermal conditions.

This informational video shows how the Atmosphere AX system can be used to image heterogeneous catalysts within the electron microscope. The Atmosphere AX system is a gas phase electron microscopy system that consists of a cell made out of two MEMS devices (E-chips). In this video, examples from literature will be shown on what type of research, within the field of Heterogeneous Catalysis, can be performed.

In this flash talk, Dr. Abdallah Nassereddine from the Université Cité Paris talks about atomic-scale in situ TEM using the Atmosphere AX system. This research is combined with DFT-based calculations to explore the reactivity of TiO₂-supported gold nanoparticles (below 7nm) with 1,3-butadiene. This study reveals the dynamic structural evolution of these nanoparticles at 300°C and 200°C, highlighting significant morphological changes and adsorption behaviors.

Presented by:
Abdallah Nassereddine, PhD.
Université Cité Paris, France

Read the full publication here:
https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cctc.202300434

This study tackles a major issue in converting methanol into useful products: the catalyst used in the process tends to wear out quickly due to the buildup of carbon deposits, known as coke. Dr. Sharmin Sharna and collaborators discovered that adding a small amount of liquid gallium, a metal that melts at low temperatures, to a zeolite catalysts, ZSM-5, dramatically improves its durability. The study added methanol in vapor form in the Atmosphere AX system to observe the reduction of carbon buildup on the catalysts' surface. Adding gallium facilitated the removal of carbon, allowing the catalyst to last up to 14 times longer than the original version! This breakthrough could lead to the development of longer-lasting catalysts for the methanol-to-hydrocarbons process, making it more efficient and cost-effective.

Presented by :
Sharmin Sharna, PhD
IPCMS in collaboration with UCCS

Read the full publication here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46232-9

Listen to leading researchers from industry and academia present their findings on directly observing the oxidation and reduction of heterogeneous catalysts.

Listen to some of the pioneering researchers in the field of in situ environmental electron microscopy present their results using the Atmosphere gas Cell.

Dr. Kinga Unocic | Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In this webinar, Dr. Unocic focuses on an operando closed-cell gas reaction (CCGR) studies performed using (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to capture dynamic morphological changes in various material systems (catalysts and structural materials). For these experiments, we used Protochips Atmosphere holder that utilizes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based heating microchips (E-chips). Examples of the experiments performed in dry and wet air will be discussed with integrated residual gas analyzer (RGA) system to provide a further validation of gas exposure conditions during reactions. Several sample preparation methods will be also described for various material form factors.

Dr. Larry Allard | Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Dr. Allard will first describe some early-day (mid-1960s) experiments studying oxidation of thin copper single crystals in an “E-TEM” geometry, utilizing home-built furnaces, specimen stages and a gas-handling manifold, with dynamic oxidation effects imaged using a JEOL 16-mm cine camera system. Procedures and results from those nascent in situ experiments will be contrasted to the capabilities provided with the development of modern MEMS-based heating and gas-reaction technologies as provided by Protochips Inc. Some of the early history of these technological advances will also be described.

Considerations and Applications within Closed Cell In-Situ Electron microscopy

Dr. Nynke A. Krans | Protochips | (PhD 2019)
In this webinar I will talk about tips and tricks that are of vital importance when doing closed cell in situ research. The main discussion will involve experimental preparation and considerations that need to be taken into account when starting an in situ transmission electron microscopy experiment. Some of the questions that will be answered during this webinar: Which E-chips are the correct choice for your experiment? Why would you drop-cast instead of use dry loading? How can dose influence your experiment?

Practical Aspects of Planning, Preparing, and Executing In Situ Gas Phase TEM

In this webinar series, Savannah Turner will cover the practical information needed to take a gas cell experiment from an idea on paper to a working experiment. We will discuss considerations for the experimental design, practical methods to get a clean leak free holder into the microscope, and finish with tips for how to acquire the data you need to reach publication. This talk will focus heavily on getting reliable and meaningful experiments by accounting for beam effects

FIB Preparation for In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

Mr. Roberto Garcia | North Carolina State University
Topic: Tips for FIB Preparation of In Situ Samples
Roberto Garcia will be discussing tips and tricks that he has developed to help improve the FIB lift-out procedure for making samples to place on Protochips in situ chips. The talk will follow closely the video made by Protochips which incorporates a double 45 degree holder for sample placement.

Dr. Vesna Srot | Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
Topic: Preparation of High-Quality Samples for MEMS-Based In-Situ Electrical and Electro-Thermal (S)TEM Experiments
Dr. Vesna Srot will present a novel and optimized FIB-based methodology for preparing contamination and damage-free samples on MEMS chips for in-situ electrical and electro-thermal experiments in (S)TEM. Newly developed FIB sample preparation routine minimizes attachment/detachment steps and reduces the use of Pt fixation owing to an alternative geometry. The quality of produced lamellae on a chip resembles the quality of a classical FIB-prepared sample. Various sample preparation parameters and the performance of in-situ prepared samples have been evaluated through electrical-biasing experiments.