Cryo-SEM Imaging of Latex Paint

A thin layer of latex paint was spread on a clean, scored, silicon chip. The sample was immediately plunge frozen in liquid ethane and transferred under LN₂ to the Leica EM VCT100 loading station where it was placed in the customized sample holder. The holder was secured by the Leica EM VCT100 shuttle and transferred into the Leica EM ACE600 equipped with a cryo stage for freeze fracturing, freeze etching and platinum coating.

The sample was fractured using the optional scalpel on door and was freeze etched for 5 minutes at -95°C. After freeze etching a 5 nm coating of platinum was sputtered (standard: 35 mA, 5 x 10² mbar, 8 x 106 mbar base vacuum) onto the surface in preparation for SEM imaging.