Name: TEM High-Pressure Gas Heating
Brand: Hummingbird Scientific

Go beyond standard gas holder pressures investigating catalyst performance, gas–solid reactions, and pressure-dependent phase transformations with gas pressures up to 20 bar and closed-loop MEMS heating up to 900 °C

The Hummingbird Scientific TEM High-Pressure Gas Heating Sample Holder enables in-situ TEM and STEM imaging of gas–solid reactions at pressures up to 20 bar, extending well beyond the operating range of conventional in-situ gas cell TEM holders. Designed for researchers in catalysis, materials science, chemistry, energy conversion, environmental science, and nanotechnology, it combines high-pressure gas environments with closed-loop MEMS heating up to 900 °C to investigate CO₂ hydrogenation, methanol synthesis, Fischer–Tropsch catalysis, ammonia synthesis, methane reforming, oxidation, corrosion, nanoparticle evolution, and pressure-dependent phase transformations. By correlating high-pressure reaction conditions with atomic-resolution imaging and analytical characterization, researchers can reveal reaction mechanisms, catalyst restructuring, phase evolution, and degradation processes under industrially relevant operating conditions.

Hummingbird Advantages:

Supports controlled gas pressures up to 20 bar, extending well beyond conventional in-situ gas cell TEM platforms.
Specialized high-pressure sealing technology with low-bowing silicon nitride (SiN) windows for stable imaging at elevated pressures.
Closed-loop MEMS heating from room temperature to 900 °C with integrated temperature sensing.
Screw-free environmental-cell assembly with self-aligning windows for fast, reproducible sample loading.
Full compatibility with TEM, STEM, EDS, and EELS during high-pressure in-situ experiments.
Compatible with TEM, SEM, and X-ray microscopy workflows using cross-platform microfabricated chips.

Technical Specs

1390 Series

Pressure Range at Sample

1 to 20 bar

Holder Gas Inlets/Outlets

1 inlet and 1 outlet on the holder

Gas Controller Configuration

1 experimental gas and 1 inert purge gas

Purge Capability

Yes

Tubing System

All metal

Heating Temperature

Up to 900°C

Biasing Contacts

4 contacts

Holder Cleaning

Bakeable to 160 °C

EELS / EDS Compatible

Yes

Available For:

How it Works

The TEM High-Pressure Gas Heating Sample Holder integrates a high-pressure-rated environmental cell, high-pressure gas delivery hardware, multifunctional high-pressure MEMS chips, electrical biasing, and closed-loop MEMS heating up to 900 °C into a unified platform for high-pressure in-situ TEM and STEM experiments. Samples are mounted onto Hummingbird Scientific MEMS chips optimized for pressures up to 20 bar before the environmental cell is assembled using a specialized high-pressure sealing mechanism. High-pressure-resistant, low-bowing silicon nitride (SiN) membranes, combined with optimized spacer geometries, minimize window deformation and gas-layer thickness, reducing electron scattering while maintaining excellent imaging stability at pressures up to 20 bar.

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The high-pressure gas delivery system provides manually-controlled gas flow through the sealed environmental cell, while the low thermal mass MEMS microheater enables rapid, closed-loop heating with integrated four-point on-chip temperature sensing. Compatible MEMS heating and electrical biasing chips support a wide range of in-situ gas-phase experiments, enabling direct observation of pressure- and temperature-dependent gas–solid reactions, catalyst restructuring, phase transformations, sintering, oxidation, and degradation processes under industry-relevant gas environments.

Recreate realistic industrial reaction environments inside the TEM with gas pressures up to 20 bar, controlled gas flow, and closed-loop MEMS heating above 900 °C.

Key Features and Capabilities

Built for Diverse Research Applications

High resolution TEM image of catalyst in gaseous environment

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

Atomic resolution image of 2D material flakes

Low Dimensional Materials

Study growth, electrochemistry, and structural evolution in 2D materials, nanowires, and quantum dots.

2D Materials Growth

Ion Intercalation

Defect Evolution

Phase Transformations

Surface Chemistry

Growth of nanocrystals in liquid environments

Synthesis

Uncover nucleation and crystal growth mechanisms, quantify growth kinetics, and optimize synthesis conditions.

Nucleation & Growth

Crystal Growth Kinetics

Morphology Control

Reaction Pathway Analysis

Growth Process Optimization

Featured Research

$High pressure and temperature imaging and diffraction of heterogeneous catalysts and supported nanostructures$

a) PVD Pt in DF-STEM at 27.5 bar N2. b) PVD Pt in SAED at 20.5 bar. c) BF-STEM and d) FFT of CeO₂ particles showing resolution of 3.1 Å at 20 bar and 450 °C.

High pressure and temperature imaging and diffraction of heterogeneous catalysts and supported nanostructures

The TEM High-pressure Gas Heating sample holder was used to demonstrate gas cell operation far above ambient pressure and temperature. The holder was used to safely image deposited Pt at a broad range of pressures up to 27.5 bar with a resolution of ~1.5 nm while useful SAED patterns with distinguishable rings were also obtained at up to 20bar for deposited Pt. Image stability and achievable resolution at high-pressure and temperature were assessed by exposing Pt/CeO₂ particles to up to 20 bar of 1:3 CO₂/H₂ up to 450 °C. CeO₂lattice fringes were distinguishable in the image on the left using a zero-loss energy filter and a resolution of 3.1 Å was measured using the image fast Fourier transform (FFT), demonstrating excellent achievable resolution despite increased scattering by the experimental gas at elevated pressures.

Reference: George Hollyer, et al, MRS Commun. (2025). DOI: 10.1557/s43579-025-00825-7

Abstract

High Impact Publications

Explore peer-reviewed publications featuring the Hummingbird Scientific TEM High-Pressure Gas Heating Sample Holder and learn how researchers are performing high-pressure in-situ TEM experiments under realistic industrial reaction conditions.

Nanometer-scale resolution in an ultra-high pressure environmental TEM holder

George G. Hollyer, Dmitri N. Zakharov, Daan Hein Alsem, Calvin Parkin, Eric A. Stach

MRS Communications

2025

Abstract

Browse All Publications

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 gas-cell holder, Hummingbird Control™ Software provides intuitive and precise control of closed loop gas heating. Together, these software solutions enable faster setup, improved reproducibility, and more efficient high-pressure gas-phase TEM experiments.

Gas 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, applications, and service 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 High-Pressure Gas Heating Sample Holder is a direct result of these capabilities, integrating a high-pressure-rated environmental cell, precise gas delivery, closed-loop MEMS heating, and experimental workflows into a single platform for reproducible high-pressure in-situ gas-phase TEM experiments.

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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