Work

Focused Ion Beam milling and MicroED structure determination of metal-organic framework crystals

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: We report new advancements in the determination and high-resolution structural analysis of beam-sensitive metal organic frameworks (MOFs) using microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) coupled with focused ion beam milling at cryogenic temperatures (cryo-FIB). A microcrystal of the beam-sensitive MOF, ZIF-8, was ion-beam milled in a thin lamella approximately 150 nm thick. MicroED data were collected from this thin lamella using an energy filter and a direct electron detector operating in counting mode. Using this approach, we achieved a greatly improved resolution of 0.59 Å with a minimal total exposure of only 0.64 e-/A2. These innovations not only improve model statistics but also further demonstrate that ion-beam milling is compatible with beam-sensitive materials, augmenting the capabilities of electron diffraction in MOF research.

Source: Ultramicroscopy

DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2023.113905

Authors: Andrey A. Bardin, Alison Haymaker, Fateme Banihashemi, Jerry Y.S. Lin, Michael W. Martynowycz, Brent L. Nannenga

Institutions: Arizona State University, University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Subfield: Structural Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze