Ultra-thin nanochannel-based liquid TEM cell for EELS analysis and high resolution imaging

Here we report a nanochannel-based liquid transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cell for the observation of biomolecules in aqueous environment inside scanning TEM (STEM). This device aims at achieving high resolution imaging using a sub-micron liquid layer encapsulated in a nanochannel with ultra-thin walls. Thanks to this unique design, we confirm for the first time the presence of aqueous solutions in the nanochannels using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).