K-kit Complete Toolbox Set

Liquid TEM for Everyone

The K-kit is a single-use sealable carrier with a microchannel inside, allowing for liquid analysis by electron microscopy. It is made by ultraprecise MEMS micromachining from silicon, with a silicon nitride window. It fits inside a standard 3mm TEM grid and thus into all commonly used TEM holders.

The K-kit advantage:

• Affordable and easy-to-use, with no installation hassle
• Image nano-objects, agglomerates, and aggregates (NOAA) in native state, no drying artifacts
• Fits all common TEM holders, and SEM compatible
• Resistant to chemical solvents
• Acts as a micro reaction chamber for chemical and biological research
• Temperature range of -196°C to 120°C for cryo TEM as well as bake out and heating
• Can preserve the sample for future re-examination

With K-kit, you no longer need to invest tens to hundreds of thousands to see your liquid or wet samples in their native state!

Fill, Seal and Observe

• The K-kit is easy. Just touch the carrier to a dropof your liquid sample to have it drawn inside by capillary force (first two images from above).
• Seal ends with vacuum-proof Torr Seal^® glue (3rd image from above).
• Mount inside a standard grid for TEM (4th image from above).

Specifications

Window:

Si₃N₄ thickness: 30nm & 100nm
Width: 24µm
Length: 300µm

Channel:

Width: 120µm
Channel heights available: 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5µm

Materials:

Substrate: Si wafer
Channel walls: Si₃N₄
Wafer bonding: SiO₂

Nanomaterials Characterization Using the K-kit

See the difference: NIST-traceable polystyrene beads in water are aggregated upon drying by conventional TEM preparation (left) but maintain their native state in K-kit carrier (right). Scale bar, 500nm.

CaCO3 nanoparticle additives in milk

TiO₂ and Z_nO in sunscreen lotion

SiO₂ nanoparticles in polishing slurry

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP_s) in blood

Tools for Easy Loading and Mounting

The K-kit container is designed to facilitate K-kit loading and mounting.

We offer the K-kit as a complete toolbox, set in a deluxe carrying case. The tools, together with the carrier container, are designed to make loading and mounting of the K-kit carrier easy even for an inexperienced user. The toolbox also includes a starter supply of the consumables, everything to get you started doing liquid TEM.

K-kit Holder & Loading Stand Set
(120-15)

Gluing Stand & Needle Pen Set
(120-19)

(120-1)

Included in the Box (120-1): 1x Sample Loading Stand, 1x Holder, 1x Needle Pen, 1x Gluing Stand, 1x pack of 6 glass slides, 1x Accessory Box (contains sealing and mounting glues, stirring sticks, and miscellaneous spare parts for the tools), and 1x 4-pack of single-use 0.2µm K-kit carriers (120-4).