Name: TEM Bulk Liquid Electrochemistry
Brand: Hummingbird Scientific

Bring the precision and control of benchtop electrochemistry to your in-situ liquid phase TEM experiments

True Bulk Electrochemistry Inside the TEM

The Hummingbird Scientific TEM Bulk Liquid Electrochemistry Sample Holder is the first in-situ liquid-phase TEM platform designed to reproduce true bulk electrochemical behavior inside the TEM. Unlike conventional liquid-cell TEM systems that use patterned on-chip electrodes, it incorporates off-chip bulk reference and counter electrodes to deliver electrochemical measurements that closely match benchtop experiments while enabling simultaneous nanoscale imaging.

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Designed for Advanced Electrochemistry Research

Ideal for researchers studying liquid-phase electrochemical processes in batteries, electrocatalysts, and energy materials, where direct observation of reaction mechanisms and material evolution at the nanoscale is critical.

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Understand What Drives Electrochemical Performance

Electrochemical measurements alone often cannot reveal why materials degrade, fail, or outperform other materials. By directly correlating electrochemical data with real-time nanoscale observations, researchers can uncover reaction pathways, structural transformations, and degradation mechanisms that govern material behavior, accelerating the development of next-generation energy and electrochemical technologies.

TEM Bulk Liquid Electrochemistry Sample Holder

Hummingbird Advantages:

Replicates benchtop electrochemical measurements inside the TEM.
Eliminates signal drift and instability associated with on-chip pseudo-reference electrodes.
Supports quantitative cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, battery cycling, corrosion studies, and electrocatalysis.
Correlates electrochemical data with real-time nanoscale imaging of material transformations and degradation mechanisms.
Features screw-free liquid-cell assembly with self-aligning windows for fast, reproducible sample loading.
Compatible with TEM, SEM, and X-ray microscopy workflows using cross-platform microfabricated chips.

Technical Specs

1490 Series

Total Electrodes

6

True Reference Electrode

Yes

True Counter Electrode

Yes

Counter Electrode Material

User’s choice of material

Electrolytes

Aqueous and a wide range of organic solvents

Spacer Range

100 nm to 5 μm

Heating Capability

Yes

EELS/EDS Compatible

Yes

Available For:

Conventional In-Situ Liquid-Cell Electrochemistry vs Bulk In-Situ Liquid-Cell Electrochemistry

Conventional in-situ liquid-cell electrochemistry uses patterned on-chip electrodes that can introduce limitations in electrochemical fidelity, cycling stability, and correlation with conventional benchtop electrochemistry. In contrast, our bulk liquid-cell electrochemistry architecture uses off-chip bulk reference and counter electrodes to enable quantitative electrochemical measurements and simultaneous nanoscale imaging inside TEM, SEM, and X-ray microscopes.

Feature

Conventional Liquid-Cell Electrochemistry with On-Chip Electrodes

Bulk Liquid-Cell Electrochemistry with Off-Chip Electrodes

Electrode Architecture

Microfabricated on-chip reference and counter electrodes, which are constrained by chip geometry, thin film degradation, and have limited material options.

True off-chip bulk reference and counter electrodes with larger geometries and flexible material selection.

Electrochemical Fidelity

Electrochemical behavior often differs from conventional benchtop measurements, with electrochemical curves showing shifted peak positions and altered shapes.

Electrochemical behavior closely matches conventional benchtop measurements, with electrochemical curves exhibiting similar shapes and matching peak locations.

Imaging fidelity

Some negative applied voltages can induce a water splitting environment near the counter electrode surface. With an on-chip counter electrode, this results in H₂ bubble formation which can impede liquid-cell imaging.

With the counter electrode relocated far from the viewing area, the in-situ electrochemistry experiment can be conducted with no affect of bubbles in the region of interest for characterization.

Cycling Stability

Repeated current-voltage cycling can cause electrode degradation, signal drift, and reduced reproducibility.

Bulk electrodes provide stable, repeatable electrochemical measurements during extended cycling experiments.

Best Suited For

Qualitative or semi-qualitative liquid-cell electrochemical studies.

Quantitative in-situ and operando electrochemical studies.

How it Works

The TEM bulk liquid electrochemistry sample holder integrates a sealed microfluidic liquid cell with true bulk reference and counter electrodes positioned off-chip, enabling accurate electrochemical control within the TEM. Real reference electrodes (e.g., Ag/AgCl) provide stable potentials, while bulk counter electrodes (e.g., Pt) support consistent current flow, eliminating the instability and drift common in on-chip systems.

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During operation, electrolyte flows through the liquid cell while electrochemical cycling is performed on the working electrode under direct electron beam observation. This architecture decouples electrochemical performance from geometric and material limitations of on-chip microfabricated electrodes, delivering reproducible current–voltage responses with well-defined redox peaks—closely matching bulk electroanalytical behavior while simultaneously enabling nanometer resolution imaging in liquid environments.

Key Features and Capabilities

Built for Diverse Research Applications

Battery Materials

Directly visualize battery cycling, ion transport, dendrite formation, interface evolution, and structural changes.

Charge-Discharge Cycling

Bio/Soft Materials

Visualize biological and soft matter systems dynamics, including growth, interactions, and degradation.

Biomineralization

Self-Assembly Processes

Metal-Organic Framework Dynamics

Soft Matter Dynamics

Biomolecular Interactions

Catalysis

Directly observe the mechanisms that drive catalyst activity, selectivity, and degradation.

Heterogeneous Catalysis

Structure-Performance Relationship

Catalyst Structural Transformations

Catalyst Chemical Transformations

Catalyst Redox

Electrochemistry

Study electrodeposition, electrocatalysis, corrosion mechanisms, and electrochemical interface evolution.

Cyclic Voltammetry (CV)

Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV)

Chronoamperometry (CA)

Chronopotentiometry (CP)

Electrochemical Impedance (EIS)

Featured Research

In-situ correlative liquid TEM and transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM). a) correlative in-situ TEM and b) TXM showing structure and valence state (bottom). c) Schematic of restructuring mechanisms of Cu₂O under NO₃RR. d) Yield rate of NO₂⁻ and NH₃ in the reaction.

Operando liquid-cell TEM imaging of Cu₂O nanocube restructuring during nitrate electroreduction

The Hummingbird Scientific TEM Bulk Liquid Electrochemistry Sample Holder was used to directly visualize the structural evolution of Cu₂O nanocube electrocatalysts during the nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR). Using liquid-cell electrochemical TEM with bulk off-chip reference and counter electrodes, researchers tracked catalyst restructuring in real time under applied electrochemical bias while maintaining quantitatively accurate electrochemical measurements. The operando TEM experiments revealed that Cu₂O nanocubes evolve into distinct catalyst morphologies depending on applied potential and electrolyte composition. Under moderately reducing conditions, Cu₂O remained stabilized alongside metallic copper due to surface hydroxide formation, correlating with enhanced ammonia selectivity. The study demonstrated how operando TEM can directly connect catalyst restructuring mechanisms to electrochemical performance under typical applied conditions.

Reference: Aram Yoon, et al. Nature Materials (2025). DOI:10.1038/s41563-024-02084-8

Abstract

Video Spotlight

Copper electrodeposition and dissolution visualized in real time within a CuSO₄ electrolyte using the TEM Bulk Liquid Electrochemistry Sample Holder. The corresponding cyclic voltammetry (CV) data (inset) shows reproducible, bulk-representative electrochemical behavior.

Operando cyclic voltammetry of Cu plating and stripping reproduces benchtop CV over many cycles

Typical in-situ liquid-phase TEM electrochemistry relies on thin film on-chip electrodes, which limits electrochemical fidelity due to constrained geometries, unstable pseudo-reference potentials, and electrode degradation over repeated cycling. The TEM bulk liquid electrochemistry sample holder overcomes these challenges by incorporating bulk, off-chip reference and counter electrodes, enabling reproducible, benchtop-equivalent electrochemical performance inside the TEM.

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The video shows copper plating and stripping from a CuSO₄ solution at the working electrode, directly visualized in real time. The corresponding cyclic voltammetry curve (inset) aligns with the observed dynamics, demonstrating consistent and repeatable bulk-representative electrochemical behavior within the in-situ liquid cell TEM experiment.

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Hummingbird Advantages

Bulk reference and counter electrodes allow direct extrapolation of observed growth pathways to bulk synthesis process design.
Robust off-chip electrodes minimize electrode degradation over many electrochemical cycles.

Reference: HBS internal data obtained in collaboration with Rui Filipe Serra Maia and Eric Stach at the University of Pennsylvania.

High Impact Publications

Trusted by researchers worldwide, the Hummingbird Scientific TEM Bulk Liquid Electrochemistry Sample Holder has contributed to 30+ peer-reviewed publications in Nature, Science, ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials, and other leading journals.

Tracking Morphology and Chemical State of Electrocatalysts during Reaction through Correlated Electron Microscopy, X-ray Microscopy and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Experiments

See Wee Chee, Aram Yoon, Shih-Yu Fu, Beatriz Roldan Cuenya

Microscopy and Microanalysis

2024

Abstract

In-Situ Liquid-Electrochemical X-Ray and Electron Microscopy for Multi-Modal Energy Materials Characterization

Calvin Parkin, Tyler Mefford, Jongwoo Lim, Aram Yoon, Rui Serra-Maia, Pawan Kumar, See Wee Chee, William C. Chueh, Daan Hein Alsem, Norman Salmon, Eric A. Stach

ECS Meeting Abstracts

2024

Abstract

Tracking the Incorporation of Fe into NiO Electrocatalysts during Reaction with Liquid Phase Electron Microscopy and Time-Resolved Elemental Mapping

Fengli Yang, Mauricio Lopez Luna, Felix T Haase, Daniel Escalera--Lόpez, Aram Yoon, Ali Kosari, Mauro Porcu, Arno Bergmann, Beatriz Roldan Cuenya, See Wee Chee

Microscopy and Microanalysis

2023

Abstract

Spatially and Chemically Resolved Visualization of Fe Incorporation into NiO Octahedra during the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Fengli Yang, Mauricio Lopez Luna, Felix T. Haase, Daniel Escalera-López, Aram Yoon, Martina Rüscher, Clara Rettenmaier, Hyo Sang Jeon, Eduardo Ortega, Janis Timoshenko, Arno Bergmann, See Wee Chee, Beatriz Roldan Cuenya

Journal of the American Chemical Society

2023

Abstract

Software

Spend less time managing equipment and more time generating results. Hummingbird Connect™ integrates with microscope and laboratory software platforms to simplify experiment setup, streamline workflows, and keep your data organized from acquisition through analysis.

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To help you get the most from your liquid-cell holder, Hummingbird Control™ Software provides intuitive and precise control of closed loop liquid heating. Together, these software solutions enable faster setup, improved reproducibility, and more efficient liquid-phase and electrochemical TEM experiments.

Liquid Heating Control

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Hummingbird Connect™Hummingbird Control™ Software

Built on Engineering Excellence

Hummingbird Scientific designs, machines, assembles, tests, and services its products in-house. Our integrated engineering, machining, microfabrication, software development, and applications teams enable rapid prototyping and iteration, custom modifications, and direct technical support throughout the life of the instrument. This vertically integrated approach allows researchers to adapt experimental platforms to unique scientific requirements while maintaining the performance and reliability required for advanced in-situ microscopy experiments.

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The TEM Bulk Liquid Electrochemistry Sample Holder is a direct result of these capabilities, enabling reproducible true bulk electrochemical measurements combined with in-situ nanoscale imaging.

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Need something unique? Our engineers can customize existing products or develop entirely new solutions to support specialized experiments and emerging research challenges.

Engineering Process Custom Solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Products

Awards

Microscopy Today 2021 Innovation Award

Microscopy Today

2021

Hummingbird Scientific was named a 2021 Microscopy Today Innovation Award recipient for its multimodal in situ bulk liquid-electrochemistry microscopy platform.