Xl30 esem feg

In order to characterize particle size and shape of the different powders, HAP I, HAP II, and HAP III solutions were directly applied to SEM sample holder (aluminium plate) and analyzed by SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) evaluations in a XL30 ESEM FEG (FEI, Eindhoven, The Netherlands) at 5 kV and 10 kV at 20,000-fold magnification.
Intraorally exposed samples were prepared for SEM analysis to investigate the pellicle coverage at different times after rinsing and its relationship with hydroxyapatite particles. After oral exposure, samples were washed with sterile water followed by a fixation with 1 ml 2% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer during 2 h at 4°C. Finally, the specimens were left to airdry overnight at room temperature in the air chamber. The next day, samples were sputter-coated with carbon and analyzed by SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) evaluations in a XL30 ESEM FEG (FEI, Eindhoven, The Netherlands) at 5 kV and 10 kV, consecutively, at up to 20,000-fold magnification.

The sections obtained from the heart, lung, brain, stomach, kidney, spleen, and liver were scanned for TiO₂ NPs using an SEM-EDX electron microscope (FEI/Philips XL 30 FEG ESEM; Eindhoven, NL). Moreover, the macrophages in the BALF samples were first stained with Diff-Quick and then scanned for NPs with the same microscope. The tissues, fixed in 2.5% glutardialdehyde and dehydrated in an ascending series of ethanol, dried in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane (Sigma-Aldrich; Taufkirchen, Germany), and coated with carbon, were also evaluated with this setup.