Operando Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging of LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 Primary Particles within Commercially Printed NMC811 Electrode Sheets.

Due to complex degradation mechanisms, disparities between the theoretical and practical capacities of lithium-ion battery cathode materials persist. Specifically, Ni-rich chemistries such as LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (or NMC811) are one of the most promising choices for automotive applications; however, they continue to suffer severe degradation during operation that is poorly understood, thus challenging to mitigate. Here we use operando Bragg coherent diffraction imaging for 4D analysis of these mechanisms by inspecting the individual crystals within primary particles at various states of charge (SoC). Although some crystals were relatively homogeneous, we consistently observed non-uniform distributions of inter- and intracrystal strain at all measured SoC. Pristine structures may already possess heterogeneities capable of triggering crystal splitting and subsequently particle cracking. During low-voltage charging (2.7-3.5 V), crystal splitting may still occur even during minimal bulk deintercalation activity; and during discharging, rotational effects within parallel domains appear to be the precursor for the nucleation of screw dislocations at the crystal core. Ultimately, this discovery of the central role of crystal grain splitting in the charge/discharge dynamics may have ramifications across length scales that affect macroscopic performance loss during real-world battery operation.

Three-dimensional positioning and structure of chromosomes in a human prophase nucleus.

The human genetic material is packaged into 46 chromosomes. The structure of chromosomes is known at the lowest level, where the DNA chain is wrapped around a core of eight histone proteins to form nucleosomes. Around a million of these nucleosomes, each about 11 nm in diameter and 6 nm in thickness, are wrapped up into the complex organelle of the chromosome, whose structure is mostly known at the level of visible light microscopy to form a characteristic cross shape in metaphase. However, the higher-order structure of human chromosomes, between a few tens and hundreds of nanometers, has not been well understood. We show a three-dimensional (3D) image of a human prophase nucleus obtained by serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, with 36 of the complete set of 46 chromosomes captured within it. The acquired image allows us to extract quantitative 3D structural information about the nucleus and the preserved, intact individual chromosomes within it, including their positioning and full spatial morphology at a resolution of around 50 nm in three dimensions. The chromosome positions were found, at least partially, to follow the pattern of chromosome territories previously observed only in interphase. The 3D conformation shows parallel, planar alignment of the chromatids, whose occupied volumes are almost fully accounted for by the DNA and known chromosomal proteins. We also propose a potential new method of identifying human chromosomes in three dimensions, on the basis of the measurements of their 3D morphology.

The use of DAPI fluorescence lifetime imaging for investigating chromatin condensation in human chromosomes.

Chromatin undergoes dramatic condensation and decondensation as cells transition between the different phases of the cell cycle. The organization of chromatin in chromosomes is still one of the key challenges in structural biology. Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), a technique which utilizes a fluorophore's fluorescence lifetime to probe changes in its environment, was used to investigate variations in chromatin compaction in fixed human chromosomes. Fixed human metaphase and interphase chromosomes were labeled with the DNA minor groove binder, DAPI, followed by measurement and imaging of the fluorescence lifetime using multiphoton excitation. DAPI lifetime variations in metaphase chromosome spreads allowed mapping of the differentially compacted regions of chromatin along the length of the chromosomes. The heteromorphic regions of chromosomes 1, 9, 15, 16, and Y, which consist of highly condensed constitutive heterochromatin, showed statistically significant shorter DAPI lifetime values than the rest of the chromosomes. Differences in the DAPI lifetimes for the heteromorphic regions suggest differences in the structures of these regions. DAPI lifetime variations across interphase nuclei showed variation in chromatin compaction in interphase and the formation of chromosome territories. The successful probing of differences in chromatin compaction suggests that FLIM has enormous potential for application in structural and diagnostic studies.

Staining and embedding of human chromosomes for 3-d serial block-face scanning electron microscopy.

The high-order structure of human chromosomes is an important biological question that is still under investigation. Studies have been done on imaging human mitotic chromosomes using mostly 2-D microscopy methods. To image micron-sized human chromosomes in 3-D, we developed a procedure for preparing samples for serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM). Polyamine chromosomes are first separated using a simple filtration method and then stained with heavy metal. We show that the DNA-specific platinum blue provides higher contrast than osmium tetroxide. A two-step procedure for embedding chromosomes in resin is then used to concentrate the chromosome samples. After stacking the SBFSEM images, a familiar X-shaped chromosome was observed in 3-D.

Platinum blue staining of cells grown in electrospun scaffolds.

Fibroblast cells grown in electrospun polymer scaffolds were stained with platinum blue, a heavy metal stain, and imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Good contrast on the cells was achieved compared with samples that were gold sputter coated. The cell morphology could be clearly observed, and the cells could be distinguished from the scaffold fibers. Here we optimized the required concentration of platinum blue for imaging cells grown in scaffolds and show that a higher concentration causes platinum aggregation. Overall, platinum blue is a useful stain for imaging cells because of its enhanced contrast using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the future it would be useful to investigate cell growth and morphology using three-dimensional imaging methods.