High tech ht7700 microscope

The morphology of CS-AgNps was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using a Hitachi High-Tech HT7700 microscope (Japan) operated in “high contrast” mode and at a 100 kV acceleration potential. Samples were applied from aqueous suspension (1 mg/mL) to 300 mesh copper grids, coated with carbon and dried under vacuum.
The morphology of films (surface and cross-sections) was observed by SEM through a Verios G4 UC Scanning Electron Microscope (Thermo Scientific, Bruno, Czech Republic) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS, EDAX Octane Elect Super SDD detector, Ametek, Mahwah, NJ, USA). The samples were coated with 10 nm platinum using a Leica EM ACE200 Sputter coater to provide electrical conductivity and to prevent charge buildup during exposure to the electron beam.
The visualization of the surface films (unloaded and IBF-loaded F #3 sample) was carried out by atomic force microscopy (AFM) using Nanoscope IIIa-type Multimode (Digital Instruments, Tonawanda, NY, USA) equipped with an “E”-type scanner. Amplitude- and height-mode images were captured at room temperature in the air using the tapping mode with a silicon tip cantilever (Bruker Corporation, Billerica, MA, USA) operated at a resonance frequency of 275–300 kHz and at a scan rate of 1.2 Hz. The images were evaluated with the Nanoscope V614r1 software (Digital Instruments, Buffalo, NY, USA).

The gold nanoparticles, at different stages of the coating process, were dimensionally and morphologically examined using a Hitachi High-Tech HT7700 microscope, in a 100 kV High Resolution Mode. Small amounts of aqueous samples (15 µL) were dropped on carbon coated grids (Ted Pella), being left at room temperature until complete evaporation of the solvent. The TEM images were further analyzed using imageJ software to assess the size distribution of the nanoparticles. The histograms indicating dimensional distribution of the nanoparticles were obtained by measurements made on about 1000 particles from several TEM images, of which only representative ones will be presented.

The structure of AgNps was analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy using a Shimadzu IRSpirit spectrophotometer in ATR mode (400–4000 cm⁻¹). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images were obtained using a Hitachi High-Tech HT7700 microscope (Tokyo, Japan) at 100 kV and the AgNPs-CS solution (1 mg/mL) was deposited onto 300 mesh carbon coated copper grid and dried under vacuum. The average diameter of AgNps was investigated by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements in ddH2O using a Malvern Zetasizer Pro (Malvern Pananalytical, Worcestershire, UK). The silver content from AgNps-CS (dispersed in 5% HNO₃ aqueous solution) was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) using a ContrAA 800 spectrometer from Analytik Jena (Jena, Germany) with air/acetylene flame at 328 nm.