SINGLE: Atomic-resolution structure identification of nanocrystals by graphene liquid cell EM

Reboul, Cyril F.; Heo, Junyoung; Machello, Chiara; Kiesewetter, Simon; Kim, Byung Hyo; Kim, Sungin; Elmlund, Dominika; Ercius, Peter; Park, Jungwon; Elmlund, Hans

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abe6679

DOE OSTI · 1763794

SINGLE: Atomic-resolution structure identification of nanocrystals by graphene liquid cell EM

Reboul, Cyril F.·Heo, Junyoung·Machello, Chiara·Kiesewetter, Simon·Kim, Byung Hyo·Kim, Sungin·Elmlund, Dominika·Ercius, Peter·Park, Jungwon·Elmlund, Hans

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Abstract

Analysis of the three-dimensional (3D) structures of nanocrystals with solution-phase transmission electron microscopy is beginning to reveal their unique physiochemical properties. We developed a “one-particle Brownian 3D reconstruction method” based on imaging of ensembles of colloidal nanocrystals using graphene liquid cell electron microscopy. Projection images of differently rotated nanocrystals are acquired using a direct electron detector with high temporal (<2.5 ms) resolution and analyzed to obtain an ensemble of 3D reconstructions. Here, we introduce computational methods required for successful atomic-resolution 3D reconstruction: (i) tracking of the individual particles throughout the time series, (ii) subtraction of the interfering background of the graphene liquid cell, (iii) identification and rejection of low-quality images, and (iv) tailored strategies for 2D/3D alignment and averaging that differ from those used in biological cryo–electron microscopy. Our developments are made available through the open-source software package SINGLE.

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Reboul, Cyril F., Heo, Junyoung, Machello, Chiara, Kiesewetter, Simon, Kim, Byung Hyo, Kim, Sungin, Elmlund, Dominika, Ercius, Peter, Park, Jungwon, Elmlund, Hans. 2021-01-29. SINGLE: Atomic-resolution structure identification of nanocrystals by graphene liquid cell EM. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe6679

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