TOWARD REAL TIME VISUALIZATION OF DNA AND GOLD NANOPARTICLE HYBRIDIZATION EVENTS USING HEATER-INTEGRATED LIQUID CELLS IN TEM - DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF AN ACTIVE LIQUID CELL SYSTEM

摘要

DNA-linked gold nanoparticles are a significant biological system with a variety of medical, chemical, and material applications. Heating of the system beyond a threshold causes a nanoscale dissolution of aggregate particles that is reversible and characteristic of the system. A device to both initiate this transition by heating and observe the resulting nanoscale motion in real-time using TEM is proposed and fabricated. Verification of successful fabrication and component functionality of this "heater-integrated liquid cell" is demonstrated and steps toward achieving the desired real-time liquid-based observation are proffered.