Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 248-257 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | CRYOBIOLOGY |
Volume | 53 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 2 Aug 2006 |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2006 |
Abstract
An experimental setup for controlled freezing of aqueous solutions is introduced. The special feature is a mechanism to actively control the nucleation temperature via electrofreezing: an ice nucleus generated at a platinum electrode by the application of an electric high voltage pulse initiates the crystallization of the sample. Using electrofreezing, the nucleation temperature in pure water can be precisely adjusted to a desired value over the whole temperature range between a maximum temperature Tnmax close to the melting point and the temperature of spontaneous nucleation. However, the presence of additives can inhibit the nucleus formation. The influence of hydroxyethylstarch (HES), glucose, glycerol, additives commonly used in cryobiology, and NaCl on Tnmax were investigated. While the decrease showed to be moderate for the non-ionic additives, the hindrance of nucleation by ionic NaCl makes the direct application of electrofreezing in solutions with physiological salt concentrations impossible. Therefore, in the multi-sample freezing device presented in this paper, the ice nucleus is produced in a separate volume of pure water inside an electrode cap. This way, the nucleus formation becomes independent of the sample composition. Using electrofreezing rather than conventional seeding methods allows automated freezing of many samples under equal conditions. Experiments performed with model solutions show the reliability and repeatability of this method to start crystallization in the test samples at different specified temperatures. The setup was designed to freeze samples of small volume for basic investigations in the field of cryopreservation and freeze-drying, but the mode of operation might be interesting for many other applications where a controlled nucleation of aqueous solutions is of importance.
Keywords
- Additive, Controlled freezing, Cryopreservation, Crystallization, Electrode, Electrofreezing, Freeze-drying, High voltage pulse, Nucleation, Seeding, Supercooling
ASJC Scopus subject areas
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In: CRYOBIOLOGY, Vol. 53, No. 2, 10.2006, p. 248-257.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A new approach for freezing of aqueous solutions under active control of the nucleation temperature
AU - Petersen, Ansgar
AU - Schneider, Hendrik
AU - Rau, Guenter
AU - Glasmacher, Birgit
PY - 2006/10
Y1 - 2006/10
N2 - An experimental setup for controlled freezing of aqueous solutions is introduced. The special feature is a mechanism to actively control the nucleation temperature via electrofreezing: an ice nucleus generated at a platinum electrode by the application of an electric high voltage pulse initiates the crystallization of the sample. Using electrofreezing, the nucleation temperature in pure water can be precisely adjusted to a desired value over the whole temperature range between a maximum temperature Tnmax close to the melting point and the temperature of spontaneous nucleation. However, the presence of additives can inhibit the nucleus formation. The influence of hydroxyethylstarch (HES), glucose, glycerol, additives commonly used in cryobiology, and NaCl on Tnmax were investigated. While the decrease showed to be moderate for the non-ionic additives, the hindrance of nucleation by ionic NaCl makes the direct application of electrofreezing in solutions with physiological salt concentrations impossible. Therefore, in the multi-sample freezing device presented in this paper, the ice nucleus is produced in a separate volume of pure water inside an electrode cap. This way, the nucleus formation becomes independent of the sample composition. Using electrofreezing rather than conventional seeding methods allows automated freezing of many samples under equal conditions. Experiments performed with model solutions show the reliability and repeatability of this method to start crystallization in the test samples at different specified temperatures. The setup was designed to freeze samples of small volume for basic investigations in the field of cryopreservation and freeze-drying, but the mode of operation might be interesting for many other applications where a controlled nucleation of aqueous solutions is of importance.
AB - An experimental setup for controlled freezing of aqueous solutions is introduced. The special feature is a mechanism to actively control the nucleation temperature via electrofreezing: an ice nucleus generated at a platinum electrode by the application of an electric high voltage pulse initiates the crystallization of the sample. Using electrofreezing, the nucleation temperature in pure water can be precisely adjusted to a desired value over the whole temperature range between a maximum temperature Tnmax close to the melting point and the temperature of spontaneous nucleation. However, the presence of additives can inhibit the nucleus formation. The influence of hydroxyethylstarch (HES), glucose, glycerol, additives commonly used in cryobiology, and NaCl on Tnmax were investigated. While the decrease showed to be moderate for the non-ionic additives, the hindrance of nucleation by ionic NaCl makes the direct application of electrofreezing in solutions with physiological salt concentrations impossible. Therefore, in the multi-sample freezing device presented in this paper, the ice nucleus is produced in a separate volume of pure water inside an electrode cap. This way, the nucleus formation becomes independent of the sample composition. Using electrofreezing rather than conventional seeding methods allows automated freezing of many samples under equal conditions. Experiments performed with model solutions show the reliability and repeatability of this method to start crystallization in the test samples at different specified temperatures. The setup was designed to freeze samples of small volume for basic investigations in the field of cryopreservation and freeze-drying, but the mode of operation might be interesting for many other applications where a controlled nucleation of aqueous solutions is of importance.
KW - Additive
KW - Controlled freezing
KW - Cryopreservation
KW - Crystallization
KW - Electrode
KW - Electrofreezing
KW - Freeze-drying
KW - High voltage pulse
KW - Nucleation
KW - Seeding
KW - Supercooling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33748446202&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2006.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2006.06.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 16887112
AN - SCOPUS:33748446202
VL - 53
SP - 248
EP - 257
JO - CRYOBIOLOGY
JF - CRYOBIOLOGY
SN - 0011-2240
IS - 2
ER -