Winter 2023 Newsletter
THE IN-SITU AX SOLUTION Impactful scientific findings rely on a strong foundation, with many aspects that contribute to the integrity and reliability of
introduced a new concept called AX Solutions
that finding. With in-situ TEM, this is even
to help our users build strong, reproducible,
more important due to the delicate nature
and reliable foundations for all their results.
of nanoscale samples. Minor changes
Providing tools for each step of the research
in sample preparation, data acquisition
process, from sample prep to publication,
and aggregation, parameters applied,
there is an AX Solution for your application
or data visualization/interpretation can
that will guide you and your colleagues
cause major differences when trying
through a reproducible workflow that leads
to reproduce results. This is why we
you down a faster route to publication!
Examples of AX Solutions: • Poseidon AX for Energy Materials • Poseidon AX for Life Sciences • Fusion AX for Nanoelectronics • Atmosphere AX for Catalysis • ...and many more!
PAST WEBINARS
UPCOMING WEBINARS
MRS. SAVANNAH J. TURNER | Utrecht University Topic: Practical Aspects of Planning, Preparing, and Executing In-situ Gas Phase TEM Experiments Click here to watch!
TUESDAY JAN 23, 2024
DR. KASIA | IIT Torino, Italy Topic: The role of liquid flow configuration in electrochemical liquid phase TEM in aqueous electrolytes. Click here to register!
DR. VESNA SROT | Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research Topic: Preparation of High-Quality Samples for MEMSBased In-Situ Electrical and Electro-Thermal (S)TEM Experiments Click here to watch!
TUESDAY FEB 27, 2024
DR. LAWRENCE F. ALLARD | Oak Ridge National Lab, Tennessee Topic: In-situ Gas-Reaction Electron Microscopy: Early “ETEM” History to Development of Modern “Closed-Cell” Technologies Click here to register!
DR. STEFAN MERKENS | NanoGune, San Sebastian Topic: Mass Transport in different Liquid-Phase TEM Flow Scenarios Click here to watch!
TUESDAY MAR 12, 2024
DR. KINGA A. UNOCIC | Oak Ridge National Lab, Tennessee Topic: Operando STEM reactions and challenges with introducing water vapor applied to catalysts and structural materials Click here to register!
MR. ROBERTO GARCIA | North Carolina State University Topic: Tips for FIB Preparation of In-situ Samples
For more webinars go to https://www.protochips.com/news-and-events/
New Compatibility: Thermo Fisher’s Ultra-X EDX Detectors We are excited to announce that all of our in-situ solutions are now compatible with Thermo Fisher Scientific’s new Ultra-X EDX detector found in their flagship Spectra Ultra TEM. Now, you can take advantage of Thermo’s most powerful EDX detector yet to monitor chemical changes during all of your in-situ TEM experiments. Whether you are using Fusion AX In the vacuum of the TEM to study grain boundary migration at high temperatures, Atmosphere AX at full pressure to study the poisoning of automotive catalysts, or Poseidon AX full of organic liquid media to study the nucleation and growth of nanomaterials, all of our in-situ solutions have been optimized for EDX analysis under insitu conditions.
Figure 1: Left: gold on iron oxide catalyst before heating. Right: gold on iron oxide after heating to 800°C for 20 minutes. Data courtesy of: Nestor J. Zaluzec, Argonne National Lab/University of Chicago. Data collected on a Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Ultra TEM with Ultra-X EDX detector @ 300kV in combination with a Protochips Fusion AX system with carbon-coated heating E-chip.
purchasing a new Spectra Ultra, your current holder can be used in the new Spectra Ultra, however the EDX detectors cannot be inserted while in use. A new Ultra-X compatible Protochips system will need to be purchased if you desire to
Compatibility Details
use the EDX detectors while performing in-situ experiments.
All Protochips systems sold for Thermo microscopes going
Need a quote? Reach out to sales@protochips.com, your local
forward will be compatible with the Ultra-X EDX detectors and
Protochips distributor, or if you want to bundle it with the new
any other model of their microscopes. If you have Protochips
microscope, your local Thermo Fisher sales representative, for
systems for Thermo microscopes already and you are
a new quote today!
HIGHLIGHTED FLASH TALK Click on the image to view the Flash Talk on YouTube
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2023/lc/d3lc00228d
JieDong Co
DISTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT
www.jiedong.com.tw abinwang@jiedong.com.tw
company (SanKwang Instruments Co., Ltd., founded in 1945). According to JieDong: “Adhering to the concept of trust, we constantly introduce new technology knowledge and equipment to the academic community and industry with a diligent and down-to-earth attitude.” JieDong has been is our distributor in Taiwan
In the rapidly changing era of science and technology, in the spirit of
and was established already in 1996. The head
professionalism, efficiency, and service support, they are committed to providing
office is located in Taipei where they operate
customers with the most advanced equipment and fully responsible after-
using highly skilled agents. The company
sales service. Next to Protochips’ equipment, JieDong also represents other EM
was
products, such as TEM cameras, holders, GIF from Gatan and EDS from Oxford,
formerly
the
Precision
Instrument
Department of Taiwan’s first instrument
NanoMEGAS, DEBEN and more.
HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATION Click on the image to read the full article Did you know that the Poseidon system is the first on the market to have imaged particles in liquid with 4D-STEM? The group of David A. Muller with author Yao Yang has pioneered 4D-STEM in liquid, unraveling the mysteries of Cu nanocatalysts’ active sites during CO2 electroreduction. In this work, in-situ TEM with four-dimensional electrochemical liquidcell microscopy showcase metallic Cu’s crucial role in enhancing C2+ selectivity. This enhances our understanding in catalyst behavior.
Visit https://www.protochips.com/publications/ for more publications
Tammy Jones
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Quality Technician II
Tammy Jones has been instrumental to the Quality Department at Protochips for over 5 years while serving as Quality Technician II. She touches nearly all shipments, outbound systems and incoming materials/parts and ensures they conform to the highest standards. Most recently she has developed digital transition
System. Tammy is motivated to support the Production Team
guidelines for QA document retention which allowed ease of
to ensure our production goals are accomplished. She supports
access to Engineering and Production Team members. Even
the team utilizing complex test procedures and processes and
after completion, she continues to be critical of these processes
with that support, contributes to the success of our Production
and always strives to improve them. Tammy has had a front
Team. When Tammy is not working, she is actively engaging in
row seat to our production improvements as she transitioned
arts and craft projects which she thoroughly enjoys.
from measuring parts with calipers and micrometers to running complex programs utilizing our Automated Vision Measurement
Great work, Tammy!
ECS 244 RECAP
and experiences, contributing to the collaborative spirit of the conference. In addition to great interactions with attendees at Protochips had a remarkable and enriching experience this past October at the 244th Electrochemical Society (ECS) Meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden. In attendance were Jennifer McConnell, Senior Manager of Marketing and Product Management, Nynke Krans, Regional Applications and Marketing Manager and Zayna King, Product Specialist. The event proved to be a vibrant hub of scientific exchange, bringing together numerous attendees from diverse backgrounds across the world. Our team engaged in many fruitful interactions, forging connections and gaining valuable insights into the latest advancements in the electrochemistry field. One major highlight was the enthusiastic participation of our customers, who generously shared updates
the vendor exhibition, our very own Dr. Krans gave an exquisite talk on using Liquid-EM techniques for operando studies of energy materials. Another proud moment for us was having our new Standard Reference Electrode featured in a talk given by Dr. Sanjay Choudhary, an outstanding postdoctoral scholar from Professor Robert Kelly’s group at UVA. Altogether, the event not only provided a platform for showcasing our innovations but also fostered a sense of community, making the 244th ECS Meeting a memorable and rewarding experience for Protochips.
THE NEW AND IMPROVED SUCCESS COMMUNITY This year Protochips’ launched our in-situ AX product line, a workflow driven approach to in-situ and operando TEM studies. By combining our machine-vision software, AXON, with state-of-the-art hardware solutions, our goal is to provide our users with tools that equip them for success, from the initial sample prep to experimental results analysis. Furthering this commitment, I am excited to announce the launch of a new Success Community experience which will streamline customer training and provide a wealth of educational and support resources that can be accessed 24/7. Over the past several months, our team has overhauled and updated the Protochips Success Community, streamlining searchability, improving organization and developing a framework to support more multimedia content and tutorials.
The newly redesigned site features an easy-to-navigate landing page which brings you right to the most important resources for each Protochips product: AXON, Atmosphere, Fusion, and Poseidon. Opening a product page displays a list of Core Articles which walk the user through the experimental workflow, including preparation, setup, and performing an experiment. Within each core article, is linked table of contents, which enables you to navigate directly to the section of an article that contains the information you need. Video tutorials are embedded directly within the articles themselves, so you don’t have to navigate out of an article you’re reading to view the content. In addition to the Core Articles, you’ll find a wealth of technical resources, troubleshooting guides and applications focused content such as bibliographies, webinars, and user presented FlashTalks. Because the full text of each article in the Success Community is searchable, you can find and preview applicable articles with much greater precision than ever before – making is much easier to find the information you are looking for, without wading through irrelevant material or opening multiple pdfs before you find the document you need. More articles are being added to the Success Community every day, so I encourage all our users to join the Protochips’ Success Community and make the most of these resources. If you already have an account, you don’t need to make any changes – just login as usual and you’ll have immediate access to the updated content and user experience!
https://success.protochips.com/
MRS Fall Recap Protochips had a fantastic time at the annual MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, MA. The event showcased outstanding scientific advancements across various domains of material science, providing an enriching experience for all attendees. Particularly noteworthy was the Advances in in-situ TEM Characterization of Dynamic Processes in Materials Symposium session, coorganized by Protochips’ very own Dr. Madeline Dukes. It was a source of immense pride for us to witness many of our esteemed customers presenting their groundbreaking work during the in-situ TEM sessions. The MRS Fall Meeting as a
the broader scientific community. The conference fostered a
whole was a dynamic and engaging conference, serving as a
vibrant environment for scientific exchange, reinforcing the
platform where a plethora of novel findings were shared with
collaborative spirit that drives innovation in materials science.
HIGHLIGHTED FLASH TALK Click on the image to view the Flash Talk on YouTube
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.2c05465
NEW FAMILY OF ELECTROCHEMISTRY E-CHIPS THIN LIQUID LAYERS MEET IMPROVED FLOW CONTROL
Click or scan the QR code to order
•
Thinner-spacer electrochemistry E-chip that give you the ultimate flexibility to determine the liquid layer thickness.
•
Going down to 100 nm, you can find the best balance between liquid layer thickness for your sample and optimizing the electrical signal.
•
Both to be ordered in Pt and GC working electrode
Small E-chips have deep channels to improve control over flow and bubbles
NEW HIGH FRAME RATE AXON MODULE
Click or scan the QR code see more information on our website
NEW THIN E-CHEMISTRY E-CHIPS
High frame rate images are now integrated in AXON!
Click or scan the QR code to order
AXON STUDIO NOW IN MICROSOFT STORE
AXON Studio lets you process all your TEM data, from plotting to making videos
Click or scan the QR code to download
Professor Robert G. Kelly University of Virginia, USA
The Protochips External Reference Electrode has allowed us to make our electrochemistry in the TEM quantitative by allowing us to make direct comparisons to standard electrochemical measurements made in standard electrochemical cells. The flexibility to use different commercial reference electrodes is also of great help.
WHERE ARE WE BASED?
AMERICAS
EMEA
ASIA
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, USA PROTOCHIPS HQ
UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS APPLICATIONS
SHANGHAI, CHINA SERVICE
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA SALES
BERLIN, GERMANY SERVICE & APPLICATIONS
TOKYO, JAPAN APPLICATIONS
AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA SALES
LONDON, ENGLAND SALES
COMING SOON GRC Liquid Phase Electron Microscopy January 27 - February 2, 2024 Lucca, Italy
UPCOMING EVENTS MRS Spring March 22 - 26, 2024 Seattle, Washington, USA PICO 2024 April 21 - 25, 2024 Vaalsbroek, Netherlands Japanese Society of Microscopy June 3 - 5, 2024 Japan
We are honored to have been invited this week at the Gordon Research Conference on Liquid Phase EM where our very own Dr. Madeline Dukes will be giving a talk!
IAMNano June 26 - 29, 2024 Gothenburg, Sweden 18th ICC July 14 - 19, 2024 Lyon, France
THIS NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY Jennifer McConnell
Senior manager, marketing and product management
I have been working at Protochips for 6 years as a product manager and recently acquired the marketing team. My background is in chemistry and I previously worked as a forensic chemist for the US government. I love hiking, especially in the mountains despite being scared of heights!
I started working at Protochips in 2021 and have enjoyed every moment so far. My background is in catalysis, liquid cell TEM and I expand my knowledge by talking to users in the field. I love learning new and weird things, that’s why I do pole dance, cooking and play with my pet rats in the weekends!
Product Specialist
I have been at Protochips almost 15 years after completing my PhD with Dr. Niels de Jonge. I have had a front row seat to growth and development of both the field and Protochips as a company. I enjoy collecting vintage dolls (@all.my.plastic.children) and crafting miniature clothing and accessories.
Product Marketing Manager
contact@protochips.com www.protochips.com
Regional Applications and Marketing Manager
I started working at Protochips in early 2023 and have loved every minute of it ever since. I earned a doctoral degree in Cell Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill, and after I worked in the biotech industry. I enjoy traveling, reading, and trying new cuisines but visiting my family in Saint Lucia will always be at the top of my list!
Zayna King
Tim Eldred
Nynke A. Krans
Madeline Dukes
Applications Scientist
I have been at Protochips for one year and was hired due to my extensive TEM knowledge. I got my PhD in materials science after working a job that had nothing to do with microscopy. In my free time, I enjoys the outdoors, particularly bouldering, I even brought the marketing team to the rock wall gym once or twice!
Protochips Headquarters:
3800 Gateway Centre Blvd #306 Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Phone: +1.919.377.0800