Em vct100 cryo shuttle and cryo stage

In order to investigate the internal structure change of composite coatings, cryo-SEM was performed to evaluate the samples after incubation in PBS at 37 °C after specified time points. Samples of ~ 1 mm³ size were mounted onto standard specimen carriers (for the EM VCT100 16BU012098-T holder, Leica Microsystems) surrounded by buffer, and plunge-frozen in liquid nitrogen slush. The samples were freeze-fractured at −140 °C, etched for 2 min at −95°C, and sputter coated with 7 nm thickness of platinum in the cryo-SEM sample prep station (EM MED 020, Leica Microsystems). Samples were then transferred under vacuum to the FEG-SEM (Nova NanoSEM 450, FEI) and imaged at −140 °C (EM VCT100 cryo shuttle and cryo stage, Leica Microsystems).

Hydrogel/LNC nanocomposite was prepared in situ directly onto standard specimen carriers (EM VCT100 16BU012098-T holder, Leica Microsystems), and plunge-frozen in liquid nitrogen slush. The samples were freeze-fractured at −140 °C, etched for 2 min at −95 °C, and sputter coated with 10 nm thickness of platinum in the cryo-SEM sample prep station (EM MED 020, Leica Microsystems). Samples were then transferred under vacuum to the FEG-SEM (Nova NanoSEM 450, FEI) and imaged at −140 °C (EM VCT100 cryo shuttle and cryo stage, Leica Microsystems).