In situ TEM gas, heating & biasing
Expand your research capabilities with our pioneering 8-contact environmental TEM holder, enabling simultaneous in situ electrical and thermal characterization of samples in controlled gas environments.
Why Climate Infinity
Designed for seamless cross-correlative workflows, the modular Infinity holder has a universal removable tip that acts as a portable cartridge. You can now bridge SEM, TFS TEM, JEOL TEM and beamline platforms with advanced X-ray techniques like TXM, XRF and Ptychography. This feature enables correlation of multi-scale data across facilities or institutes without requiring Nano-Reactor disassembly, and therefore preserves complete sample integrity.
On JEOL microscopes the universal tip applies to TEMs with wide pole pieces such as HRP and WGP.
Application fields
Observe nanomaterial synthesis and growth processes in reactive gas environments at elevated temperatures.
Study catalyst dynamics and structure evolution during real-world gas reactions at sub-Angstrom resolution.
Investigate electrode materials and membrane degradation under controlled gas and temperature conditions.
Visualize oxidation and corrosion mechanisms at the nanoscale in controlled atmospheric environments.
System components
Overview of the key components that together enable precise environmental control and in situ experimentation within the Climate system.
Powered by advanced MEMS technology, the Nano-Reactor is a functional sample carrier that creates a controlled and clean reactive environment for imaging chemical reactions at the nano-scale. An integrated four-contact micro-heater and sensor delivers precise and localized temperature control from room temperature up to 1000 °C. Combined with four dedicated biasing contacts, the eight-electrode architecture enables combined heating and biasing experiments. Replicating a real-world industrial chemical reactor, the Nano-Reactor unlocks atomic resolution imaging during dynamic gas–solid reactions.
The Gas Supply System is a game changer for gas-phase TEM research, integrating all gas control functions into one smooth platform. It gives accurate and independent control over temperature, pressure, flow rate and gas composition directly inside the Nano-Reactor, in either static or flow operation, mixing up to three gas input lines on the fly with mass-flow controlled in-line mixing.
The unique ultra-low-volume mixing valve guarantees rapid gas switching and enables safe operation with flammable gases and explosive mixtures of any composition. Importantly, our Gas Supply System allows for imaging and analysis of samples in gas environments at the atomic scale.
The Vaporizer Flex adds water or alcohol vapor to any gas mixture at the last stage before the holder, so the gas system itself stays free of vapor and needs no baking between experiments. Manual valves switch between dry and wet operation in minutes, and the bubbler reservoir takes any liquid that is chemically compatible with the system.
An optomechanical tip brings an optical fibre into the sample area, illuminating the entire 500 × 500 µm² membrane of the Nano-Reactor. The supported wavelengths ranges from 350 to 2000 nm with up to 1500 mW/cm² at the sample.
Nexus brings the whole experiment back together afterwards. Import data from GMS, TIA, Velox and Impulse into one synchronized workspace and view your TEM images alongside the temperature, pressure and gas signals on a shared timeline. Process the data in the same project with the bundled Python scripts for drift removal, smoothing and peak detection, or with your own, and export annotated videos and figures that combine images, graphs and metadata.
News article
Read about our Infinity holder in this interview with one of our senior engineers, exploring the vision behind this latest innovation. The article highlights how Infinity combines heating and biasing in both gas and liquid environments through its 8-contact design, enabling new possibilities for in situ experiments. It also reflects the user-driven approach behind the design, with a focus on ease of use, faster time to experiment, and seamless integration across microscopy platforms.
DENSsolutions introduces its latest product: Infinity – an innovative in situ solution that combines heating and biasing capabilities in both gas and liquid environments.
Read moreSelected publications
Three studies from the Climate Infinity brochure, following catalysts and oxides as they react in a controlled gas environment.
In this study, we explore the atomic-scale transformation of nanosized Fe3O4 under ambient-pressure H2 gas using in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy. This work elucidates a full dynamical scenario of iron redox under realistic conditions, which is critical for unraveling the intricate mechanisms governing the solid–solid and solid–gas reactions.
Using operando X-ray absorption and in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy, users report direct evidence that the deactivation process can be reversed by carrying out a facile oxidative treatment. The use of in situ methods reveals the complex dynamics of supported gold nanoparticles under reaction conditions and demonstrates that gold catalysts can be easily regenerated, expanding their scope for practical application.
Using operando transmission electron microscopy, we show that Pd NPs exhibit reversible structural and activity changes during heating and cooling in mixed gas environments containing O2 and CO. Below 400 °C the NPs form flat low index facets and are inactive towards CO oxidation, while above 400 °C the NPs become rounder and conversion of CO to CO2 increases significantly.
Resources
For more information on workflow, applications and specifications.
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