• Applied Microscopy
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• v.50
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• pp.21.1-21.3
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• 2020

Sample preparation is significantly important to the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) characterization of nanomaterials. However, many general organic solvents can dissolve the necessary organic polymer support layer in TEM grid, which causes it difficult to obtain high-quality samples of oil-soluble nanomaterials. In this study, a new sample preparation method for oil-soluble nanomaterials has been developed by using the sublimable material as a transition layer. Experiments also show that there is no damage to TEM grids and high-quality HRTEM images can be obtained via this method. This approach paves the way to applicable HRTEM sample preparation of oil-soluble nanomaterials.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.51
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• pp.19.1-19.7
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• 2021

The main purpose of this paper is the preparation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) samples from the microsized powders of lithium-ion secondary batteries. To avoid artefacts during TEM sample preparation, the use of ion slicer milling for thinning and maintaining the intrinsic structure is described. Argon-ion milling techniques have been widely examined to make optimal specimens, thereby making TEM analysis more reliable. In the past few years, the correction of spherical aberration (Cs) in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has been developing rapidly, which results in direct observation at an atomic level resolution not only at a high acceleration voltage but also at a deaccelerated voltage. In particular, low-kV application has markedly increased, which requires a sufficiently transparent specimen without structural distortion during the sample preparation process. In this study, sample preparation for high-resolution STEM observation is accomplished, and investigations on the crystal integrity are carried out by Cs-corrected STEM.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.218-224
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• 2015

A technical overview on the various sample preparation methods for electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis is carried out. The mechanical polishing with colloidal silica finish, electro-chemical polishing, dual layer coating and ion beam milling are introduced for the common sample preparation methods for EBSD observation and some issues that are frequently neglected by the common EBSD users but should be considered to get a reliable EBSD data are discussed. This overview would be especially helpful to the people who know what EBSD technique is but do not get a reliable EBSD data because of difficulties in sample preparation.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2016

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful tool for analyzing a broad range of materials and provides localized information about the microstructure. However, the analysis results are strongly influenced by the quality of the thin foil specimen. Sample preparation for TEM analysis requires considerable skill, especially when the area of interest is small or the material of interest is difficult to thin because of its high hardness and its mechanical instability when thinned. This article selectively reviews recent advances in TEM sample preparation techniques using a tripod polisher. In particular, it introduces two typical types (fl at type and wedge type) of TEM sample preparation and the benefits and drawbacks of each method; finally, a method of making better samples for TEM analysis is suggested.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.207-214
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• 1996

For many years oxygen and hydrogen isotope analysis have been used as one of the most valuable research tools to investigate many geological processes. There are many sample preparation techniques of oxygen and hydrogen isotope analysis for various geological samples. We introduce here several important sample preparation techniques for oxygen and hydrogen isotope analysis and discuss the problems of each method in detail.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.27-30
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• 2015

This article reviews the fundamentals of sample preparation used in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). MALDI is a soft ionization method used to generate analyte ions in their intact forms, which are then detected in MS analysis. MALDI-MS boasts fast analysis times and easy-to-use operation. The disadvantages of MALDI-MS include the occurrence of matrix-associated peaks and inhomogeneous distribution of analyte within the matrix. To overcome the disadvantages of MALDI-MS, various efforts have been directed such as using different matrices, novel matrix systems, various additives, and different sample preparation methods. These various efforts will be discussed in detail. This article will benefit those who would like to obtain basic knowledge of MALDI sample preparation and those who would like to use MALDI-MS in their chemical analyses.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2012

For TEM study of biological samples or polymers that are contained in organic structure, it is often required that the sample is prepared by using ultramicrotome and stained with proper agents to increase the contrast of organic structure. In this study, we investigated an efficient TEM sample preparation method for ductile heterogeneity material by using ultramicrotomy. Cryo-ultramicrotomy is a suitable method that is capable of rendering sample hardness for various ductile materials. However, it has several factors to consider, such as experimental cost, working time and finding the optimal staining conditions. To satisfy these considerations, we prepared TEM sample by using ultramicrotome without cryofunction, and secured the sample hardness by applying the staining process prior to ultrathin sectioning. The cross-linked polyethylene structure in the sample was stained with the 2% $RuO_4$ solution in a sealed test tube for 24 hours at $4^{\circ}C$. After the sample staining, ultrathin sections of sample were prepared using ultramicrotome. As a result, it was revealed that the difficulties associated with staining of ultrathin sections prepared by low-temperature conditions were improved. In addition, appropriate staining depth of sample could be selected for sectioning process. The quality of TEM sample obtained by using this method was better than that of cryo-ultramicroscopy. Finally, it is expected that our method could be effectively applied in TEM sample preparation for a variety of nano-bio convergence materials.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.413-415
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• 1989

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.199-202
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• 2015

A simple and novel transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation method for phase change nanowire is investigated. A $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ (GST) nanowire TEM sample was meticulously prepared using nanomanipulator and gas injection system in a field emission scanning electron microscopy for efficient and accurate TEM analysis. The process can minimize the damage during the TEM sample preparation of the nanowires, thus enabling the crystallographic analysis of as-grown GST nanowires without unexpected phase transition caused by e-beam heating.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.191-200
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• 2017

There have been great efforts to develop a rapid and sensitive detection method to monitor the presence of pathogenic bacteria in food. While a number of methods have been reported for bacterial detection with a detection limit to a single digit, most of them are suitable only for the bacteria in pure culture or buffered solution. On the other hand, foods are composed of highly complicated matrices containing carbohydrate, fat, protein, fibers, and many other components whose composition varies from one food to the other. Furthermore, many components in food interfere with the downstream detection process, which significantly affect the sensitivity and selectivity of the detection. Therefore, isolating and concentrating the target pathogenic bacteria from food matrices are of importance to enhance the detection power of the system. The present review provides an introduction to the representative sample preparation strategies to isolate target pathogenic bacteria from food sample. We further describe the nucleic acid-based detection methods, such as PCR, real-time PCR, NASBA, RCA, LCR, and LAMP. Nucleic acid-based methods are by far the most sensitive and effective for the detection of a low number of target pathogens whose performance is greatly improved by combining with the sample preparation methods.