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Gibson W, Mulvey JT, Das S, Selmani S, Merham JG, Rakowski AM, Schwartz E, Hochbaum AI, Guan Z, Green JR, Patterson JP. Observing the Dynamics of an Electrochemically Driven Active Material with Liquid Electron Microscopy. ACS NANO 2024; 18:11898-11909. [PMID: 38648551 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c01524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical liquid electron microscopy has revolutionized our understanding of nanomaterial dynamics by allowing for direct observation of their electrochemical production. This technique, primarily applied to inorganic materials, is now being used to explore the self-assembly dynamics of active molecular materials. Our study examines these dynamics across various scales, from the nanoscale behavior of individual fibers to the micrometer-scale hierarchical evolution of fiber clusters. To isolate the influences of the electron beam and electrical potential on material behavior, we conducted thorough beam-sample interaction analyses. Our findings reveal that the dynamics of these active materials at the nanoscale are shaped by their proximity to the electrode and the applied electrical current. By integrating electron microscopy observations with reaction-diffusion simulations, we uncover that local structures and their formation history play a crucial role in determining assembly rates. This suggests that the emergence of nonequilibrium structures can locally accelerate further structural development, offering insights into the behavior of active materials under electrochemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wyeth Gibson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Center for Complex and Active Materials, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Justin T Mulvey
- Center for Complex and Active Materials, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Swetamber Das
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, United States
| | - Serxho Selmani
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Center for Complex and Active Materials, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Jovany G Merham
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Alexander M Rakowski
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Eric Schwartz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Allon I Hochbaum
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Center for Complex and Active Materials, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Zhibin Guan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Center for Complex and Active Materials, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Jason R Green
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, United States
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, United States
| | - Joseph P Patterson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Center for Complex and Active Materials, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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2
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San Gabriel ML, Qiu C, Yu D, Yaguchi T, Howe JY. Simultaneous secondary electron microscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope with applications for in situ studies. Microscopy (Oxf) 2024; 73:169-183. [PMID: 38334743 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfae007] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is a powerful characterization tool for a wide range of materials. Over the years, STEMs have been extensively used for in situ studies of structural evolution and dynamic processes. A limited number of STEM instruments are equipped with a secondary electron (SE) detector in addition to the conventional transmitted electron detectors, i.e. the bright-field (BF) and annular dark-field (ADF) detectors. Such instruments are capable of simultaneous BF-STEM, ADF-STEM and SE-STEM imaging. These methods can reveal the 'bulk' information from BF and ADF signals and the surface information from SE signals for materials <200 nm thick. This review first summarizes the field of in situ STEM research, followed by the generation of SE signals, SE-STEM instrumentation and applications of SE-STEM analysis. Combining with various in situ heating, gas reaction and mechanical testing stages based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), we show that simultaneous SE-STEM imaging has found applications in studying the dynamics and transient phenomena of surface reconstructions, exsolution of catalysts, lunar and planetary materials and mechanical properties of 2D thin films. Finally, we provide an outlook on the potential advancements in SE-STEM from the perspective of sample-related factors, instrument-related factors and data acquisition and processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia L San Gabriel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 184 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E4,Canada
| | - Chenyue Qiu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 184 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E4,Canada
| | - Dian Yu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 184 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E4,Canada
| | - Toshie Yaguchi
- Electron Microscope Systems Design Department, Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, 552-53 shinko-cho, Hitachinaka-shi, Ibaraki-ken 312-8504, Japan
| | - Jane Y Howe
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 184 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E4,Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Toronto, 200 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 3E5, Canada
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3
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Paysen E, Capellini G, Talamas Simola E, Di Gaspare L, De Seta M, Virgilio M, Trampert A. Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Interface Roughness and Alloy Disorder in Ge/GeSi Asymmetric Coupled Quantum Wells Using Electron Tomography. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:4189-4198. [PMID: 38190284 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Interfaces play an essential role in the performance of ever-shrinking semiconductor devices, making comprehensive determination of their three-dimensional (3D) structural properties increasingly important. This becomes even more relevant in compositional interfaces, as is the case for Ge/GeSi heterostructures, where chemical intermixing is pronounced in addition to their morphology. We use the electron tomography method to reconstruct buried interfaces and layers of asymmetric coupled Ge/Ge0.8Si0.2 multiquantum wells, which are considered a potential building block in THz quantum cascade lasers. The three-dimensional reconstruction is based on a series of high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. It allows chemically sensitive investigation of a relatively large interfacial area of about (80 × 80) nm2 with subnanometer resolution as well as the analysis of several interfaces within the multiquantum well stack. Representing the interfaces as iso-concentration surfaces in the tomogram and converting them to topographic height maps allows the determination of their morphological roughness as well as layer thicknesses, reflecting low variations in either case. Simulation of the reconstructed tomogram intensities using a sigmoidal function provides in-plane-resolved maps of the chemical interface widths showing a relatively large spatial variation. The more detailed analysis of the intermixed region using thin slices from the reconstruction and additional iso-concentration surfaces provides an accurate picture of the chemical disorder of the alloy at the interface. Our comprehensive three-dimensional image of Ge/Ge0.8Si0.2 interfaces reveals that in the case of morphologically very smooth interfaces─depending on the scale considered─the interface alloy disorder itself determines the overall characteristics, a result that is fundamental for highly miscible material systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Paysen
- Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik, Leibniz-Institut im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Giovanni Capellini
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, 00146 Roma, Italy
- IHP─Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
| | | | - Luciana Di Gaspare
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, 00146 Roma, Italy
| | - Monica De Seta
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, 00146 Roma, Italy
| | - Michele Virgilio
- Dipartimento di Fisica "Enrico Fermi", Università di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Achim Trampert
- Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik, Leibniz-Institut im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., 10117 Berlin, Germany
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4
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Chee SW, Lunkenbein T, Schlögl R, Roldán Cuenya B. Operando Electron Microscopy of Catalysts: The Missing Cornerstone in Heterogeneous Catalysis Research? Chem Rev 2023; 123:13374-13418. [PMID: 37967448 PMCID: PMC10722467 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Heterogeneous catalysis in thermal gas-phase and electrochemical liquid-phase chemical conversion plays an important role in our modern energy landscape. However, many of the structural features that drive efficient chemical energy conversion are still unknown. These features are, in general, highly distinct on the local scale and lack translational symmetry, and thus, they are difficult to capture without the required spatial and temporal resolution. Correlating these structures to their function will, conversely, allow us to disentangle irrelevant and relevant features, explore the entanglement of different local structures, and provide us with the necessary understanding to tailor novel catalyst systems with improved productivity. This critical review provides a summary of the still immature field of operando electron microscopy for thermal gas-phase and electrochemical liquid-phase reactions. It focuses on the complexity of investigating catalytic reactions and catalysts, progress in the field, and analysis. The forthcoming advances are discussed in view of correlative techniques, artificial intelligence in analysis, and novel reactor designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- See Wee Chee
- Department
of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber Institute
of the Max-Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Lunkenbein
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber Institute
of the Max-Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Schlögl
- Department
of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber Institute
of the Max-Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Beatriz Roldán Cuenya
- Department
of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber Institute
of the Max-Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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5
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Liu J, Liu YY, Li CS, Cao A, Wang H. Exocytosis of Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Review. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:2215. [PMID: 37570533 PMCID: PMC10421347 DOI: 10.3390/nano13152215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Both biomedical applications and safety assessments of manufactured nanomaterials require a thorough understanding of the interaction between nanomaterials and cells, including how nanomaterials enter cells, transport within cells, and leave cells. However, compared to the extensively studied uptake and trafficking of nanoparticles (NPs) in cells, less attention has been paid to the exocytosis of NPs. Yet exocytosis is an indispensable process of regulating the content of NPs in cells, which in turn influences, even decides, the toxicity of NPs to cells. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms and influencing factors of the exocytosis of NPs is not only essential for the safety assessment of NPs but also helpful for guiding the design of safe and highly effective NP-based materials for various purposes. Herein, we review the current status and progress of studies on the exocytosis of NPs. Firstly, we introduce experimental procedures and considerations. Then, exocytosis mechanisms/pathways are summarized with a detailed introduction of the main pathways (lysosomal and endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi pathway) and the role of microtubules; the patterns of exocytosis kinetics are presented and discussed. Subsequently, the influencing factors (initial content and location of intracellular NPs, physiochemical properties of NPs, cell type, and extracellular conditions) are fully discussed. Although there are inconsistent results, some rules are obtained, like smaller and charged NPs are more easily excreted. Finally, the challenges and future directions in the field have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Haifang Wang
- Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
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Ribet SM, Ophus C, Dos Reis R, Dravid VP. Defect Contrast with 4D-STEM: Understanding Crystalline Order with Virtual Detectors and Beam Modification. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:1087-1095. [PMID: 37749690 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Material properties strongly depend on the nature and concentration of defects. Characterizing these features may require nano- to atomic-scale resolution to establish structure-property relationships. 4D-STEM, a technique where diffraction patterns are acquired at a grid of points on the sample, provides a versatile method for highlighting defects. Computational analysis of the diffraction patterns with virtual detectors produces images that can map material properties. Here, using multislice simulations, we explore different virtual detectors that can be applied to the diffraction patterns that go beyond the binary response functions that are possible using ordinary STEM detectors. Using graphene and lead titanate as model systems, we investigate the application of virtual detectors to study local order and in particular defects. We find that using a small convergence angle with a rotationally varying detector most efficiently highlights defect signals. With experimental graphene data, we demonstrate the effectiveness of these detectors in characterizing atomic features, including vacancies, as suggested in simulations. Phase and amplitude modification of the electron beam provides another process handle to change image contrast in a 4D-STEM experiment. We demonstrate how tailored electron beams can enhance signals from short-range order and how a vortex beam can be used to characterize local symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Ribet
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- International Institute of Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Colin Ophus
- National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Roberto Dos Reis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- International Institute of Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- The NUANCE Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Vinayak P Dravid
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- International Institute of Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- The NUANCE Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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7
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Sheth V, Chen X, Mettenbrink EM, Yang W, Jones MA, M’Saad O, Thomas AG, Newport RS, Francek E, Wang L, Frickenstein AN, Donahue ND, Holden A, Mjema NF, Green DE, DeAngelis PL, Bewersdorf J, Wilhelm S. Quantifying Intracellular Nanoparticle Distributions with Three-Dimensional Super-Resolution Microscopy. ACS NANO 2023; 17:8376-8392. [PMID: 37071747 PMCID: PMC10643044 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c12808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Super-resolution microscopy can transform our understanding of nanoparticle-cell interactions. Here, we established a super-resolution imaging technology to visualize nanoparticle distributions inside mammalian cells. The cells were exposed to metallic nanoparticles and then embedded within different swellable hydrogels to enable quantitative three-dimensional (3D) imaging approaching electron-microscopy-like resolution using a standard light microscope. By exploiting the nanoparticles' light scattering properties, we demonstrated quantitative label-free imaging of intracellular nanoparticles with ultrastructural context. We confirmed the compatibility of two expansion microscopy protocols, protein retention and pan-expansion microscopy, with nanoparticle uptake studies. We validated relative differences between nanoparticle cellular accumulation for various surface modifications using mass spectrometry and determined the intracellular nanoparticle spatial distribution in 3D for entire single cells. This super-resolution imaging platform technology may be broadly used to understand the nanoparticle intracellular fate in fundamental and applied studies to potentially inform the engineering of safer and more effective nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinit Sheth
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Xuxin Chen
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Evan M. Mettenbrink
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Wen Yang
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Meredith A. Jones
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Ons M’Saad
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
- Panluminate, Inc. New Haven, Connecticut, 06516, USA
| | - Abigail G. Thomas
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Rylee S. Newport
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Emmy Francek
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Lin Wang
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Alex N. Frickenstein
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Nathan D. Donahue
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Alyssa Holden
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Nathan F. Mjema
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Dixy E. Green
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73126, USA
| | - Paul L. DeAngelis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73126, USA
| | - Joerg Bewersdorf
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510 USA
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Stefan Wilhelm
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Technology (IBEST), Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
- Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
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8
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NanoMi: An open source electron microscope hardware and software platform. Micron 2022; 163:103362. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2022.103362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Biochemical Interactions through Microscopic Techniques: Structural and Molecular Characterization. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14142853. [PMID: 35890632 PMCID: PMC9318543 DOI: 10.3390/polym14142853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many researchers and scientists have contributed significantly to provide structural and molecular characterizations of biochemical interactions using microscopic techniques in the recent decade, as these biochemical interactions play a crucial role in the production of diverse biomaterials and the organization of biological systems. The properties, activities, and functionalities of the biomaterials and biological systems need to be identified and modified for different purposes in both the material and life sciences. The present study aimed to review the advantages and disadvantages of three main branches of microscopy techniques (optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and scanning probe microscopy) developed for the characterization of these interactions. First, we explain the basic concepts of microscopy and then the breadth of their applicability to different fields of research. This work could be useful for future research works on biochemical self-assembly, biochemical aggregation and localization, biological functionalities, cell viability, live-cell imaging, material stability, and membrane permeability, among others. This understanding is of high importance in rapid, inexpensive, and accurate analysis of biochemical interactions.
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