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Carlino E, Taurino A, Hasa D, Bučar DK, Polentarutti M, Chinchilla LE, Calvino Gamez JJ. Direct Imaging of Radiation-Sensitive Organic Polymer-Based Nanocrystals at Sub-Ångström Resolution. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:872. [PMID: 38786829 DOI: 10.3390/nano14100872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Seeing the atomic configuration of single organic nanoparticles at a sub-Å spatial resolution by transmission electron microscopy has been so far prevented by the high sensitivity of soft matter to radiation damage. This difficulty is related to the need to irradiate the particle with a total dose of a few electrons/Å2, not compatible with the electron beam density necessary to search the low-contrast nanoparticle, to control its drift, finely adjust the electron-optical conditions and particle orientation, and finally acquire an effective atomic-resolution image. On the other hand, the capability to study individual pristine nanoparticles, such as proteins, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and polymers, with peculiar sensitivity to the variation in the local structure, defects, and strain, would provide advancements in many fields, including materials science, medicine, biology, and pharmacology. Here, we report the direct sub-ångström-resolution imaging at room temperature of pristine unstained crystalline polymer-based nanoparticles. This result is obtained by combining low-dose in-line electron holography and phase-contrast imaging on state-of-the-art equipment, providing an effective tool for the quantitative sub-ångström imaging of soft matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvio Carlino
- Istituto di Cristallografia del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IC-CNR), 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Antonietta Taurino
- Istituto per la Microelettronica e i Microsistemi del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IMM-CNR), 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Dritan Hasa
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | | | | | - Lidia E Chinchilla
- Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales, Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, 11519 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Josè J Calvino Gamez
- Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales, Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, 11519 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
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2
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Winkler R, Ciria M, Ahmad M, Plank H, Marcuello C. A Review of the Current State of Magnetic Force Microscopy to Unravel the Magnetic Properties of Nanomaterials Applied in Biological Systems and Future Directions for Quantum Technologies. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:2585. [PMID: 37764614 PMCID: PMC10536909 DOI: 10.3390/nano13182585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Magnetism plays a pivotal role in many biological systems. However, the intensity of the magnetic forces exerted between magnetic bodies is usually low, which demands the development of ultra-sensitivity tools for proper sensing. In this framework, magnetic force microscopy (MFM) offers excellent lateral resolution and the possibility of conducting single-molecule studies like other single-probe microscopy (SPM) techniques. This comprehensive review attempts to describe the paramount importance of magnetic forces for biological applications by highlighting MFM's main advantages but also intrinsic limitations. While the working principles are described in depth, the article also focuses on novel micro- and nanofabrication procedures for MFM tips, which enhance the magnetic response signal of tested biomaterials compared to commercial nanoprobes. This work also depicts some relevant examples where MFM can quantitatively assess the magnetic performance of nanomaterials involved in biological systems, including magnetotactic bacteria, cryptochrome flavoproteins, and magnetic nanoparticles that can interact with animal tissues. Additionally, the most promising perspectives in this field are highlighted to make the reader aware of upcoming challenges when aiming toward quantum technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Winkler
- Christian Doppler Laboratory—DEFINE, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria; (R.W.); (H.P.)
| | - Miguel Ciria
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Margaret Ahmad
- Photobiology Research Group, IBPS, UMR8256 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Harald Plank
- Christian Doppler Laboratory—DEFINE, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria; (R.W.); (H.P.)
- Graz Centre for Electron Microscopy, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Institute of Electron Microscopy, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Carlos Marcuello
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
- Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
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Germann LS, Carlino E, Taurino A, Magdysyuk OV, Voinovich D, Dinnebier RE, Bučar D, Hasa D. Modulating Thermal Properties of Polymers through Crystal Engineering. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202212688. [PMID: 36617841 PMCID: PMC10947328 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202212688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Crystal engineering has exclusively focused on the development of advanced materials based on small organic molecules. We now demonstrate how the cocrystallization of a polymer yields a material with significantly enhanced thermal stability but equivalent mechanical flexibility. Isomorphous replacement of one of the cocrystal components enables the formation of solid solutions with melting points that can be readily fine-tuned over a usefully wide temperature range. The results of this study credibly extend the scope of crystal engineering and cocrystallization from small molecules to polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luzia S. Germann
- Max Planck Institute for Solid State ResearchHeisenberg Straße 170569StuttgartGermany
| | - Elvio Carlino
- Istituto di Cristallografia—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IC—CNR)Via Amendola 122/O70126BariItaly
| | - Antonietta Taurino
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IMM—CNR)Via Monteroni73100LecceItaly
| | - Oxana V. Magdysyuk
- Diamond Light Source Ltd.Harwell Science and Innovation CampusDidcotOX11 0DEUK
| | - Dario Voinovich
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of TriesteVia Giorgieri 134127TriesteItaly
| | - Robert E. Dinnebier
- Max Planck Institute for Solid State ResearchHeisenberg Straße 170569StuttgartGermany
| | - Dejan‐Krešimir Bučar
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Dritan Hasa
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of TriesteVia Giorgieri 134127TriesteItaly
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Taurino A, Carlino E. The Relevance of Building an Appropriate Environment around an Atomic Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope as Prerequisite for Reliable Quantitative Experiments: It Should Be Obvious, but It Is a Subtle Never-Ending Story! MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:1123. [PMID: 36770131 PMCID: PMC9953716 DOI: 10.3390/ma16031123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The realization of electron microscopy facilities all over the world has experienced a paramount increase in the last decades. This means huge investments of public and private money due to the high costs of equipment, but also for maintenance and running costs. The proper design of a transmission electron microscopy facility is mandatory to fully use the advanced performances of modern equipment, capable of atomic resolution imaging and spectroscopies, and it is a prerequisite to conceive new methodologies for future advances of the knowledge. Nonetheless, even today, in too many cases around the world, the realization of the environment hosting the equipment is not appropriate and negatively influences the scientific quality of the results during the life of the infrastructure, practically vanishing the investment made. In this study, the key issues related to the realization of an advanced electron microscopy infrastructure are analyzed based on personal experience of more than thirty years, and on the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Taurino
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Elvio Carlino
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Giovanni Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
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Deng YH. Truth and Myth of Phase Coexistence in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin Film via Transmission Electron Microscopy. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2008122. [PMID: 34402118 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202008122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have attracted substantial interest as the most favorable prospective material for efficient photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. However, their extreme sensitivity to electron beam radiation makes it difficult to obtain their intrinsic structure by transmission electron microscopy and can even lead to significant misidentifications. In 2018, the coexistence of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3 ) in the cubic and tetragonal phase using electron microscopy and electron diffraction techniques was reported in article "Self-Organized Superlattice and Phase Coexistence inside Thin Film Organometal Halide Perovskite". Herein, however, that claim is challenged by comparing their experimental data to simulated diffraction patterns and arguing that their perovskite samples may have been damaged due to excessive electron beam irradiation. Consequently, true phase coexistence was not observed in that previously reported work, rather merely the decomposition products of MAPbI3 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hao Deng
- Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
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Special Issue: Advances in Transmission Electron Microscopy for the Study of Soft and Hard Matter. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14071711. [PMID: 33807156 PMCID: PMC8037908 DOI: 10.3390/ma14071711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Mabrouk M, Das DB, Salem ZA, Beherei HH. Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Production, Characterisations, Recent Trends and Difficulties. Molecules 2021; 26:1077. [PMID: 33670668 PMCID: PMC7922738 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26041077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Designing of nanomaterials has now become a top-priority research goal with a view to developing specific applications in the biomedical fields. In fact, the recent trends in the literature show that there is a lack of in-depth reviews that specifically highlight the current knowledge based on the design and production of nanomaterials. Considerations of size, shape, surface charge and microstructures are important factors in this regard as they affect the performance of nanoparticles (NPs). These parameters are also found to be dependent on their synthesis methods. The characterisation techniques that have been used for the investigation of these nanomaterials are relatively different in their concepts, sample preparation methods and obtained results. Consequently, this review article aims to carry out an in-depth discussion on the recent trends on nanomaterials for biomedical engineering, with a particular emphasis on the choices of the nanomaterials, preparation methods/instruments and characterisations techniques used for designing of nanomaterials. Key applications of these nanomaterials, such as tissue regeneration, medication delivery and wound healing, are also discussed briefly. Covering this knowledge gap will result in a better understanding of the role of nanomaterial design and subsequent larger-scale applications in terms of both its potential and difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Mabrouk
- Refractories, Ceramics and Building Materials Department, National Research Centre, 33El Bohouth St (former EL Tahrir St), Dokki, Giza P.O. 12622, Egypt;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE113TU, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Diganta B. Das
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE113TU, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Zeinab A. Salem
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University, Giza P.O. 12613, Egypt;
- Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Ahram Canadian University, 6 October City P.O. 12573, Egypt
| | - Hanan H. Beherei
- Refractories, Ceramics and Building Materials Department, National Research Centre, 33El Bohouth St (former EL Tahrir St), Dokki, Giza P.O. 12622, Egypt;
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Deng YH, Nest LG. Analysis of misidentifications in TEM characterisation of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite material. J Microsc 2021; 282:195-204. [PMID: 33440018 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have recently emerged as groundbreaking semiconductor materials owing to their remarkable properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as a very powerful characterisation tool, has been widely used in perovskite materials for structural analysis and phase identification. However, the perovskites are highly sensitive to electron beams and easily decompose into PbX2 (X = I, Br, Cl) and metallic Pb. The electron dose of general high-resolution TEM is much higher than the critical dose of MAPbI3 , which results in universal misidentifications that PbI2 and Pb are incorrectly labelled as perovskite. The widely existed mistakes have negatively affected the development of perovskite research fields. Here misidentifications of the best-known MAPbI3 perovskite are summarised and corrected, then the causes of mistakes are classified and ascertained. Above all, a solid method for phase identification and practical strategies to reduce the radiation damage for perovskite materials have also been proposed. This review aims to provide the causes of mistakes and avoid misinterpretations in perovskite research fields in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hao Deng
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Leon Georg Nest
- Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Common Phase and Structure Misidentifications in High-Resolution TEM Characterization of Perovskite Materials. CONDENSED MATTER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/condmat6010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) is a powerful tool for structure characterization. However, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite is highly sensitive to electron beams and easily decomposes into lead iodide (PbI2). Misidentifications, such as PbI2 being incorrectly labeled as perovskite, are widely present in HRTEM characterization and would negatively affect the development of perovskite research field. Here misidentifications in MAPbI3 perovskite are summarized, classified, and corrected based on low-dose imaging and electron diffraction (ED) simulations. Corresponding crystallographic parameters of intrinsic tetragonal MAPbI3 and the confusable hexagonal PbI2 are presented unambiguously. Finally, the method of proper phase identification and some strategies to control the radiation damage in HRTEM are provided. This warning paves the way to avoid future misinterpretations in HRTEM characterization of perovskite and other electron beam-sensitive materials.
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Holography and Coherent Diffraction Imaging with Low-(30-250 eV) and High-(80-300 keV) Energy Electrons: History, Principles, and Recent Trends. MATERIALS 2020; 13:ma13143089. [PMID: 32664297 PMCID: PMC7412140 DOI: 10.3390/ma13143089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we present the theoretical background to electron scattering in an atomic potential and the differences between low- and high-energy electrons interacting with matter. We discuss several interferometric techniques that can be realized with low- and high-energy electrons and which can be applied to the imaging of non-crystalline samples and individual macromolecules, including in-line holography, point projection microscopy, off-axis holography, and coherent diffraction imaging. The advantages of using low- and high-energy electrons for particular experiments are examined, and experimental schemes for holography and coherent diffraction imaging are compared.
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