Cryomicroscopy of low-Tg latex particles via freeze drying
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is a powerful tool for investigating the structure of latex particles. However, examining low Tg (glass transision, Tg < room temperature) latex particles requires special techniques due to the significant deformation which occurs if the particles are dispersed onto a substrate at room temperature. Here a freeze drying (FD) technique is presented which permits individual emulsion particles, including stained particles, to be examined in a manner that minimizes deformation by maintaining the particles at temperatures below Tg.Typically, particle morphology is determined from images of individual latex particles dispersed onto a supporting ultra-thin substrate or from images of ultra-microtomed sections of films cast from the latex. Examining particles dispersed onto a substrate is often advantageous, allowing direct determination of particle shape and characterization of the morphology prior to the film formation process. Although low Tg materials can be examined using this technique, information about the size, shape and morphology of phase separated domains can be obscured by the deformation which occurs when the particles are examined at room temperature.