Elucidating the assembled structure of amphiphiles in solution via cryogenic transmission electron microscopy

For the past twenty years, significant progress has been made in both developing cryogenic transmission electron microscopy ( cryo- TEM) technology and understanding assembled behavior of amphiphilic molecules. Cryo- TEM can provide high- resolution images of complex fluids in a near in situ state. Samples embedded in a thin layer of vitrified solvent do not exhibit artifacts that would normally occur when using chemical fixation or staining- and- drying techniques. Cryo-TEM has been useful in imaging biological molecules in aqueous solutions. Cryo- TEM has become a powerful tool in the study of in situ- assembled structures of amphiphiles in solution as a complementary tool to small- angle X- ray and neutron scattering, light scattering, rheology measurements, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The application of cryo- TEM in the study of assembled behavior of amphiphilic block copolymers, hydrogels, and other complex soft systems continues to emerge. In this context, the usage of cryo- TEM in the field of amphiphilic complex fluids and self- assembled nano- materials is briefly reviewed, and its unique role in exploring the nature of assembled structure in liquid suspension is highlighted.