The TEM Liquid Flow Sample Holder enables in-situ TEM and STEM imaging of nanoscale processes in controlled liquid environments. An enclosed microfluidic flow cell with electron-transparent silicon nitride (SiN) windows isolates the liquid-phase sample from the microscope vacuum while supporting static or continuous flow. A precision-engineered, screw-free loading and compression-sealing mechanism ensures reproducible liquid cell assembly and self-alignment of the imaging windows. The holder delivers near-drift-free imaging and supports microfabricated chips for MEMS heating, electrical biasing, and liquid electrochemistry, with an optional dual-inlet flow configuration for in-situ reagent mixing.
Designed for researchers in materials science, chemistry, energy storage, catalysis, environmental science, and life sciences, the platform enables direct observation of nanoparticle nucleation and growth, crystallization, corrosion, electrochemical reactions, and solid–liquid and liquid–liquid interfacial processes that cannot be captured using conventional ex-situ characterization.
Continuous liquid flow, rapid solution exchange, and optional dual-inlet mixing enable real-time observation of reactions from their earliest stages. Combined with MEMS heating, electrical biasing, and liquid electrochemistry chips, the holder correlates nanoscale structural evolution with thermal, electrical, and electrochemical responses to reveal the mechanisms governing material transformation, interfacial reactions, and device behavior.
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The TEM Liquid Flow Sample Holder uses an enclosed microfluidic liquid cell to maintain a controlled liquid environment inside the high vacuum of the TEM. The liquid cell is formed by two silicon microchips with electron-transparent silicon nitride (SiN) windows that encapsulate a thin liquid layer while allowing the electron beam to pass through for nanoscale TEM and STEM imaging.
A precision-engineered, screw-free chip loading and compression-sealing mechanism ensures reproducible liquid cell assembly and self-alignment of the imaging windows, resulting in highly reproducible experiments. The holder is also compatible with specialized microfabricated chips for MEMS heating, electrical biasing, and liquid electrochemistry, enabling multiple in-situ techniques on the same liquid flow platform.
Liquid is delivered to the holder tip through replaceable flexible microfluidic tubing. The standard configuration supports both static and continuous liquid flow, while an optional dual-inlet configuration enables two independent solutions to mix immediately before the imaging region. Continuous flow refreshes the liquid environment during the experiment, enabling reagent exchange, removal of reaction by-products, and real-time observation of dynamic liquid-phase processes.
Image: a) TEM Liquid Flow Sample Holder, b) Liquid holder stand, c) Microfluidics syringe pump, d) High-vacuum pump, e) Seal checking station with integrated microscope, f) Liquid holder accessory kit, g) Optional thin film liquid heating controller.
Achieve reproducible liquid-cell assembly with self-aligning windows and a screw-free sealing design
Simplify cleaning with removable and upgradeable holder tips that allow user access for full tubing replacement
Image samples in continuous-flow or static liquid environments using a sealed microfluidic chip assembly
Correlate electrochemical, heating, and imaging data across TEM, SEM, and X-ray microscopy platforms
Perform correlative spectroscopy and microscopy for detailed in-situ elemental analysis
Protect your TEM during liquid-cell experiments and streamline setup with rapid high-vacuum seal checking and optical inspection
Keep experiments moving with in-stock liquid-cell TEM chips designed for electrochemistry, liquid flow, heating, and multimodal microscopy workflows
Add temperature-controlled liquid-phase TEM capabilities with homogeneous heating, precise temperature regulation, and near-drift-free in-situ imaging
Accelerate discovery with dual-flow liquid mixing for in-situ liquid phase TEM, capturing dynamic liquid-liquid reactions with greater control and flexibility
Expand the capabilities of the TEM Liquid Flow Sample Holder with the BioLogic SP-200 potentiostat for quantitative in-situ TEM electrochemistry
a) Schematics of macroscopic Maxwell lattices and a hinge exhibiting rotational freedom. b) Schematic of a rhombic lattice with structural degeneracy. c) Self-assembly of gold nanocubes into a rhombic Maxwell lattice in via liquid-phase TEM. Time-lapse liquid-phase TEM images overlaid with d) tracked NP centroids and e) the bond network describing the angle at which each rhombus leans. Scale bars, 150 nm. f) Drift-corrected trajectory mapped over a selected region of a stable rhombus lattice. g) Example of the instantaneous displacement of the NPs in one frame. Scale bars, 200 nm.
Direct imaging of phonon dynamics in self-assembled nanoparticle lattices using liquid-phase TEM
The Hummingbird Scientific TEM Liquid Flow sample holder enabled liquid-phase TEM imaging of self-assembled gold nanoparticle lattices to directly measure nanoscale phonon dynamics and lattice mechanics in solution. Using flowing liquid within a sealed microfluidic TEM environment, researchers tracked the thermally driven vibrations of gold nanocubes, nanorods, and nanoprisms with sub-nanometer precision, creating a phonon-mode nanoscopy (PMN) platform. The holder allowed real-time observation of particle motion, lattice reconfiguration, and collective phonon modes inaccessible by conventional techniques. By correlating nanoparticle trajectories with mechanical models, the study quantified phonon band structures, spring constants, and topological floppy modes, establishing self-assembled nanoparticle lattices as a new class of tunable mechanical metamaterials.
Reference: Chang Qian, et al. Nature Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02253-3
Copyright © The Author(s), under exclusive licence toSpringer Nature Limited 2025.
Kirkendall effect in Ag nanocubes in solution with Au ions at 23 °C. Nanocubes become hollow via the nucleation, growth, and coalescence of voids formed by galvanic replacement.
Ag nanocubes undergo nanoscale galvanic replacement reactions at elevated temperature
The Hummingbird Scientific TEM Liquid Flow platform was used along with the heating add-on to confirm the nucleation, growth, and coalescence of voids inside Ag nanocubes due to the galvanic replacement (GR) reaction with Au introduced into the solution at different temperatures. The Ag nanocube suspension was drop cast onto the heater chip and sealed into the liquid cell. The Ag nanocubes were stable up to 90 °C during imaging, but once a solution containing Au ions was introduced into the cell via the liquid delivery system, the GR reaction initiates as low as 23 °C.
Hummingbird Advantage
See Wee Chee, et al, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01175-2
Video Copyright © 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature
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.
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.
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.
The TEM Liquid Flow Sample Holder is a direct result of these capabilities, enabling reproducible in-situ liquid-phase imaging with optional MEMS heating, electrical biasing, electrochemistry, and dual-inlet liquid mixing on a single platform.
Need something unique? Our engineers can customize existing products or develop entirely new solutions to support specialized experiments and emerging research challenges.
