Cryo-TEM of thread-like micelles: On-the-grid microstructural transformations induced during specimen preparation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cryo-TEM of thread-like micelles

T2 - On-the-grid microstructural transformations induced during specimen preparation

AU - Danino, Dganit

AU - Talmon, Yeshayahu

AU - Zana, Raoul

N1 - Funding Information: Thanks are due to Drs S.J. Candau and G. Porte for the gift of the surfactant samples and stimulating discussions. We thank J. Schmidt and B. Shdemati for expert technical assistance. R.Z. thanks the Mission des Relations Internationales (CNRS, France) for partial financing of his stay at the Technion. The last stages of the work were performed at the Hannah and George Krumholz Cryo-TEM Laboratory. The work at the Technion was supported by the Israel Science Foundation of the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities.

PY - 2000/9

Y1 - 2000/9

N2 - This paper reports a transmission electron microscopy at cryogenic temperature (cryo-TEM) study of the microstructure of aqueous solutions of hexadecylpyridinium chlorate (CPClO3) in the presence of sodium chlorate. Micrographs showed very crumpled bilayer fragments with many creases, coexisting with spheroidal and thread-like micelles, instead of the threadlike micelles expected from previous neutron and light scattering studies of this system. This shows that shear during specimen preparation for cryo-TEM may affect the microstructure of some investigated systems. With the CPClO3/NaClO3 system the shearing of the sample associated to its blotting apparently induces a transformation of the thread-like micelles into bilayer fragments. Other transformations may be also possible in view of the results reported for other systems. However, it is noteworthy that changes of microstructure such as the ones discussed in this paper have been observed only in a relatively small number of the systems investigated by cryo-TEM. Beyond the implications for cryo-TEM, our findings are direct manifestations of shear-induced changes in surfactant solution microstructure.

AB - This paper reports a transmission electron microscopy at cryogenic temperature (cryo-TEM) study of the microstructure of aqueous solutions of hexadecylpyridinium chlorate (CPClO3) in the presence of sodium chlorate. Micrographs showed very crumpled bilayer fragments with many creases, coexisting with spheroidal and thread-like micelles, instead of the threadlike micelles expected from previous neutron and light scattering studies of this system. This shows that shear during specimen preparation for cryo-TEM may affect the microstructure of some investigated systems. With the CPClO3/NaClO3 system the shearing of the sample associated to its blotting apparently induces a transformation of the thread-like micelles into bilayer fragments. Other transformations may be also possible in view of the results reported for other systems. However, it is noteworthy that changes of microstructure such as the ones discussed in this paper have been observed only in a relatively small number of the systems investigated by cryo-TEM. Beyond the implications for cryo-TEM, our findings are direct manifestations of shear-induced changes in surfactant solution microstructure.

KW - Cryo-TEM

KW - Microstructural transformations

KW - Thread like micelles

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034002963&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/S0927-7757(00)00418-0

DO - 10.1016/S0927-7757(00)00418-0

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:0034002963

VL - 169

SP - 67

EP - 73

JO - Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

JF - Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

SN - 0927-7757

IS - 1-3

ER -