Quorum sc7620 sputter coater

The specimens’ surfaces/morphology were observed in a JEOL 7610F ultra high resolution (JEOL—EUROPE, Nieuw-Vennep, The Netherlands), Schottky Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM). The specimens were sputtered with Pd/Au prior to examination using a Quorum SC7620 sputter/coater (Quorum Technologies Ltd., Laughton, East Sussex, UK). Imaging was carried out at an operating range between 1–2 kV.

The surface morphology of blank and captopril loaded filaments was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), (Jeol JSM-6060CV, Jeol Inc., Peabody, MA, USA). All samples were mounted onto stubs using double-sided adhesive tape and were sputter-coated for 60 s with gold/palladium (80:20) using a Quorum SC7620 Sputter Coater (Quorum Technologies, Laughton, UK), and observed under microscope [30 (link),31 (link)].

The surfaces of the composite samples were analyzed using an SEM (EVO-MA 10, Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany) with an acceleration voltage of 10 kV under 1k and 5k magnifications. Prior to scanning and analyzing, the samples were coated with a thin layer of gold using a Quorum SC7620 sputter coater (Quorum Technologies, Laughton, UK) at 20 mA and 180 s.

Gradient dehydration of the samples was carried out prior to performing sputter coating with gold/palladium for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging. The samples were treated with ethanol solutions of increasing concentrations in a stepwise manner as follows: 70% and 90% ethanol for 30 min each and 100% twice, for 60 min each.
The dehydration reagents (1 ml) were dispensed in each well containing the fixed samples. The plates were covered and allowed to rest at room temperature between reagent changes. At the completion of the treatment, ethanol was decanted and then drained by resting upside down on three plies of filter paper for 30 min. Complete removal of ethanol was achieved by evaporation for 3 h under low pressure (3 × 10^–3 mbar). Evaporation was carried out in the chamber of a Quorum SC7620 sputter coater (Quorum Technologies, United Kingdom).
Using a small, pointed blade, the dried samples were gently cut off from the wells, which are released as thin films. They were immobilised on 12‐mm SEM stubs prepared with double‐sided carbon adhesives and then sputter coated with 2–3 nm of Gold/Palladium (Au/Pd).
Imaging was carried out using the backscatter electron detector of a Phenom XLII (ATA Scientific, Taren Point, Australia). The applied acceleration voltage was 10 kV and the spot size 3.3.

The microstructures of the studied cement mortar mixtures were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) by using a field emission gun scanning electron microscope Merlin-ZEISS (FEGSEM, Zeiss, Jena, Germany) equipped with a secondary electron detector operating at an acceleration voltage of 15 kV, probe current of 300–800 pA, and a working distance of 6–18 mm. The chemical compositions of the materials’ surfaces were determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). SEM images were analyzed using the NIS-Elements software (Laboratory Imaging Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic). The vacuum-dried tested samples were mounted on aluminum stubs using double-sided conductive carbon tape and sputter-coated with gold/palladium using a Quorum SC7620 sputter coater (Quorum Technologies Ltd., Lewes, United Kingdom).