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Pockets In Graphene Layers Allow Viewing of Liquids With an Electron Microscope

Posted by Unknown on from the the-emperor's-graphene-clothes dept.

slew writes "Looking at liquids with a transmission electron microscope to observe things like crystal growth has been difficult to do. This is because liquids need to be confined to a capsule to view them in a TEM (because the electrons are flying at the sample in a chamber near vaccuum pressures where liquids would evaporate or sublimate). Traditional capsules of Silicon Oxide or Silicon Nitride have been fairly opaque. A paper describes a new technique with a 'pocket' created between two graphene layers which can hold liquids for observation by a TEM and the graphene is apparently much more transparent than previous materials allowing a better view of the processes (like crystalization), taking place in the liquid. The BBC has a non-paywalled summary article."

3 of 32 comments (clear)

  1. Graphene pockets today... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Transparent aluminum tomorrow?

  2. Other work says water diffuses through graphene by ridgecritter · · Score: 4, Interesting

    TFA seems inconsistent with a recent report that graphene is so transparent to water than one can in effect use a graphene barrier to selectively out-diffuse water. (http://biology-forums.com/index.php?topic=18349.0;topicseen) gives a popularized account of the original work that indicates you can concentrate alcohol in alcohol/water solutions by simply putting a graphene film bottlecap on the bottle. Yahoo! for those of us who want to make EverClear from vodka, I guess.

    So if this story is talking about using graphene to enable TEM examination of aqueous systems, I don't see why the water doesn't diffuse rapidly out of the graphene bubble boundary, especially given the tiny volumes that would be involved in a TEM specimen.

    The graphene water diffusion paper is "Unimpeded Permeation of Water Through Helium-LeakTight Graphene-Based Membranes", paywalled at Science Mag. Really interesting.

    1. Re:Other work says water diffuses through graphene by niftydude · · Score: 4, Interesting

      TFA isn't inconsistent, not all liquids and solutions are aqueous.

      The liquid used in the experiment was a mixture of Pt(acetylacetonate)2, o-dichlorobenzene and oleylamine.

      No water was involved, though you are correct that this technique wouldn't be able to be used for aqueous sstems.

      --
      You can never know everything, and part of what you do know will always be wrong. Perhaps even the most important part.