Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels

The internal morphologies for a series of heterogeneous PHEMA and P[HEMA-co-MeO-PEGMA] [PHEMA = poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), MeO-PEGMA = poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with a sample drying proce...

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Main Authors: Paterson, S., Casadio, Y., Brown, David, Shaw, J., Chirila, T., Baker, M.
Format: Journal Article
Published: John Wiley and Sons Inc 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46514
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author Paterson, S.
Casadio, Y.
Brown, David
Shaw, J.
Chirila, T.
Baker, M.
author_facet Paterson, S.
Casadio, Y.
Brown, David
Shaw, J.
Chirila, T.
Baker, M.
author_sort Paterson, S.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The internal morphologies for a series of heterogeneous PHEMA and P[HEMA-co-MeO-PEGMA] [PHEMA = poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), MeO-PEGMA = poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with a sample drying procedure, and by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) without prior drying. Compared to SEM, LSCM was far simpler and more rapid technique for imaging hydrogels. LSCM also allowed the native hydrated morphology of the hydrogels to be characterized, whereas SEM could only characterize the morphology of samples in their dehydrated state. No dehydration method used in this study preserved the true native morphology, but plunge freezing/freeze drying was the most suitable method that best preserved the native morphology for all hydrogel compositions. Refrigeratedfreezing/freeze-drying and critical point drying introduced significant morphological artifacts, the severity of the artifacts being dependant on the sample’s composition and Tg.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-465142017-09-13T15:58:24Z Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels Paterson, S. Casadio, Y. Brown, David Shaw, J. Chirila, T. Baker, M. morphology laser scanning confocal microscopy macroporous polymers hydrogels poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) The internal morphologies for a series of heterogeneous PHEMA and P[HEMA-co-MeO-PEGMA] [PHEMA = poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), MeO-PEGMA = poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with a sample drying procedure, and by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) without prior drying. Compared to SEM, LSCM was far simpler and more rapid technique for imaging hydrogels. LSCM also allowed the native hydrated morphology of the hydrogels to be characterized, whereas SEM could only characterize the morphology of samples in their dehydrated state. No dehydration method used in this study preserved the true native morphology, but plunge freezing/freeze drying was the most suitable method that best preserved the native morphology for all hydrogel compositions. Refrigeratedfreezing/freeze-drying and critical point drying introduced significant morphological artifacts, the severity of the artifacts being dependant on the sample’s composition and Tg. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46514 10.1002/app.38034 John Wiley and Sons Inc restricted
spellingShingle morphology
laser scanning confocal microscopy
macroporous polymers
hydrogels
poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)
Paterson, S.
Casadio, Y.
Brown, David
Shaw, J.
Chirila, T.
Baker, M.
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels
title Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels
title_full Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels
title_fullStr Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels
title_full_unstemmed Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels
title_short Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy for Characterization of Polymer Morphology: Sample Preparation Drastically Distorts Morphologies of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Based Hydrogels
title_sort laser scanning confocal microscopy versus scanning electron microscopy for characterization of polymer morphology: sample preparation drastically distorts morphologies of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based hydrogels
topic morphology
laser scanning confocal microscopy
macroporous polymers
hydrogels
poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46514