Engineering and direct imaging of nanocube self-assembly pathways
December 17, 2024
The sample support is just as important as the hardware, if not more, for a successful in situ TEM electrochemical experiment. At Protochips, we have more than 100 years combined semiconductor development experience that we’ve leveraged into designing and manufacturing innovative and reliable sample supports, or “E-chips”, for in situ TEM applications. We consult with leading scientists around the world to ensure new E-chip devices fulfill both the needs of the application and provide a streamlined user-friendly experience. Protochips’ electrochemical E-chips are optimized for resolution of the TEM images, electrochemical signal-to-noise, and elemental analysis maps all while incorporating relevant electrode materials like those used in benchtop experiments.
The electrode placement within the cell enables you to obtain high quality elemental maps using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and maximize resolution when working in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode.
The electrical connections between the holder and the working, counter and reference electrodes are insulated with an inert material to maximize electrochemical signal-to-noise and prevent extraneous reactions from occurring outside the viewing area that may inhibit quantitative results.
Glassy carbon electrodes provide both an inert, relevant working electrode material and the added advantage of electron transparency, enabling you exponentially increase the viewing and analysis area as compared to a typical non-transparent electrode material, like platinum.
Researchers recently utilized Protochips’ most popular E-chip design, featuring a glassy carbon working electrode to study the morphological changes of NiXB nanoparticles during oxygen evolution reactions (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 5586 –5590).
