Graphene Liquid Cells Assembled through Loop‐Assisted Transfer Method and Located with Correlated Light‐Electron Microscopy

Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 30

Abstract

Abstract Graphene liquid cells (GLCs) for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) enable high‐resolution, real‐time imaging of dynamic processes in water. Large‐scale implementation, however, is prevented by major difficulties in reproducing GLC fabrication. Here, a high‐yield method is presented to fabricate GLCs under millimeter areas of continuous graphene, facilitating efficient GLC formation on a TEM grid. Additionally, GLCs are located on the grid using correlated light‐electron microscopy (CLEM), which reduces beam damage by limiting electron exposure time. CLEM allows the acquisition of reliable statistics and the investigation of the most common shapes of GLCs. In particular, a novel type of liquid cell is found, formed from only a single graphene sheet, greatly simplifying the fabrication process. The methods presented in this work—particularly the reproducibility and simplicity of fabrication—will enable future application of GLCs for high‐resolution dynamic imaging of biomolecular systems.

Authors 9

1. Pauline M. G. van Deursen Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry Leiden University Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands

2. Roman I. Koning Aachen

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Medical Center Leiden University Einthovenweg 20 2333 ZC Leiden The Netherlands

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands

3. Viorica Tudor Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry Leiden University Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands

4. Mohammad‐Amin Moradi

   Eindhoven University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry & Center of Multiscale Electron Microscopy Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands

   Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry & Center of Multiscale Electron Microscopy, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands

5. Joseph P. Patterson

   Eindhoven University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry & Center of Multiscale Electron Microscopy Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands

   Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry & Center of Multiscale Electron Microscopy, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands

6. Alexander Kros Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry Leiden University Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands

7. Nico A. J. M. Sommerdijk

   Radboud University Nijmegen · Radboud University Medical Center · Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud University Medical Center Department of Biochemistry Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences 6525 GA Nijmegen The Netherlands

   Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands

8. Abraham J. Koster Aachen

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Medical Center Leiden University Einthovenweg 20 2333 ZC Leiden The Netherlands

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands

9. Grégory F. Schneider corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry Leiden University Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands