QUANTIFOIL® SiO2 Films

cells on grid

Resilient and extensively functionalizable, QUANTIFOIL® SiO2 films are robust enough to withstand extensive manual handling and FIB-milling. They are a popular choice for in situ biological imaging including cryo-electron tomography and correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM), as well as materials science applications.

In addition, the ability to easily chemically modify SiOfilm surfaces makes them ideal when:

  • Optimizing the physicochemical properties of the transmission electron microscopy supports.
  • The sample support is part of the experimental protocol: for example directing the growth of a sample or to covalently attaching a biomolecule to the SiO2 surface.

Applications that may benefit from using SiO2 supports include:

  • On-grid cell growth for in situ imaging techniques including CLEM and cryo-FIB, due to their robustness and similarity to glass surfaces.
  • The production of FIB lamallae is aided by the robustness and resilience of SiO2.
  • The ease of functionalization simplifies the attachment of biomolecules (for example DNA or microtubules) for controlled investigations.
  • Semiconductor material characterization can take advantage of all these features.