Good luck for your research. 

Hi Tamzin

I know very little about your samples. Since I do inorganic nanomaterials. But one suggestion would be to avoid the glass coverslips and use a substrate that is conducting instead if possible. This would save you a lot of trouble from charging. If you have to use glass, then you will either have to use an environmental SEM at low vacuum or add in an extra sputtering step at the end. 

Good luck for your research. 

I would second Ravindra's suggestions, but I would recommend leaving them in a well-sealed container in 70% EtOH until you are ready to put them into the CPD. Also, some CPDs are ethanol only so you wouldn't want to transfer them to acetone. Ask your core facility for the coverslip apparatus so that you can transfer the samples to that before they go into the CPD. 

I haven't had great success with HMDS, but I know that it can be ideal for some sample types.

Good luck!

1. Glass is OK. It does not matter if your substrate is not conductive, you will coat your specimens anyway. But if you want to use CPD, you should use smaller pieces of glass, which will fit in a CPD chamber. Thermanox coverslips are more handy, they can be cut if needed.

2. Whatever you like. 

3. For SEM osmium is not really needed.

4. Yes. 

5. For me HMDS works fine, in most cases as good as CPD.

@Yikai Xu: Conductive substrate is not needed here.

@Blanca I Carbajal Gonzalez: Never go from 70% ethanol to CPD. Only 100% 

Hi Vladimir, 

I was not suggesting going from 70% directly to the CPD. Sorry, I should have been clearer. I simply meant that samples could be stored until they are ready for the CPD. At that point, you will bring the samples through 100% EtOH before they go into the CPD.

For those who do not have immediate access to a facility, it is important to realize that samples can be stored in 70% EtOH until they can access the facility.