The physical behavior of solid water at low temperatures and the embedding of electron microscopical specimens

Electron‐beam‐induced amorphization of ice III or IX obtained by high‐pressure freezing

“…This effect is reminiscent of another effect observed previously: after electron beam amorphization of hexagonal ice at 40 K, the same hexagonal crystals reappear upon rewarming at about 155 K (Dubochet & Lepault, 1984). Other forms of amorphous solid water have been described by other groups (Mishima et al, 1984(Mishima et al, , 1985Heide & Zeitler, 1985;Poole et al, 1992;Jenniskens & Blake, 1994) but they have not been characterized precisely by electron microscopy.…”

A survey of ultra‐rapid cryofixation methods with particular emphasis on applications to freeze‐fracturing, freeze‐etching, and freeze‐substitution

“…Ice crystal growth and danger of recrystallization in biological samples is minimal at temperatures lower than 188 K. Vitrified water is only stable below 143 K. Hence, ideally with freeze-substitution ice can be dissolved at temperatures well below 143 K (see also Heide and Zeitler, 1985). However, as yet this is not feasible in a reasonable amount of time.…”

“…Volker et al (1984) added molecular sieve material to the freeze-substitution medium, in order to keep it completely water-free. Heide and Zeitler (1985) describe in detail a plungefreeze method for obtaining vitrified aqueous support films.…”

Physics of Water and Ice: Implications for Cryofixation

“…The instability of the ice layer in the electron beam has to be considered when the observation temperatures are below 70 K (Lepault et aI. 1983;Heide and Zeitler 1985). Spray-, jet-and splatfrozen samples have been investigated by electron and X-ray diffraction (Dubochet and MacDowell 1981;Dubochet et aI.…”