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A modification of the oil emulsion freezing technique for freeze‐etching studies of hydrogels
Author(s) -
Buchheim Wolfgang,
Hermansson AnneMarie
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1981.tb01286.x
Subject(s) - emulsion , cryofixation , self healing hydrogels , chemical engineering , etching (microfabrication) , materials science , chemistry , chromatography , polymer chemistry , nanotechnology , layer (electronics) , electron microscope , engineering , physics , optics
SUMMARY A preparation technique is described which is especially applicable to hydrous gels and allows an improved cryofixation of such systems for freeze‐etching. The method is a modification of the oil emulsion freezing technique where the gelling system is dispersed in liquid paraffin before sol‐gel transformation. Gel formation within the microscopically small sol droplets is then induced, e.g. by suitable thermal treatment. The effectiveness of this technique has been demonstrated with heat‐induced soy protein gels.