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Imaging of Polymeric Nanoparticles: Hard Challenge for Soft Objects
Author(s) -
Renz Patricia,
Kokkinopoulou Maria,
Landfester Katharina,
Lieberwirth Ingo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.201600246
Subject(s) - characterization (materials science) , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , materials science , nanoscopic scale , sample preparation , chemistry , chromatography
With the emergence of nanotechnology and nanoscience in the past two decades a thorough characterization at the nanoscale became more and more important. The characterization of nanoparticles is the main issue for the understanding of their properties. Besides averaging methods like scattering techniques the direct imaging of nanoparticles by microscopy methods is the major characterization method. Especially electron microscopy proved to be a valuable tool to obtain morphological and analytical information. The aim of this article is to point out the prospects as well as the pitfalls of this technique with special emphasis on the electron microscopical imaging of polymeric nanoparticles. We will present two alternative methods to cryo‐TEM preparation: embedding the sample into an ultrathin film of trehalose as already used for the preparation for biological samples and the preparation of an ultrathin, free standing ionic liquid film as embedding matrix for nanoparticular structures.