As a part of our ongoing commitment to provide our customers with the best substrates for nanoscale characterization, Dune's new C-SMART functionalized carbon TEM grids now enable us to provide many of the same benefits as our SiO₂ and Si₃N₄ SMART TEM Grids, but with the familiarity of carbon-coated TEM grids used for many low contrast applications including cryoEM, electron tomography, and soft materials.

Dune Sciences' patent pending functionalization chemistry and processing for carbon films results in accurate, reproducible, and simple sample preparation. The functionalized C-SMART surface makes it possible to capture a wide range of nanoparticles, viruses, antibodies and other analytes, with a particular advantage for low contrast samples. When your sample preparation strategy requires more than simply capturing your sample, the use of bifunctional linkers and immunoselective modifiers with C-SMART Grids can enhance the imaging of target analytes for both stained samples and for CryoEM.

C SMART Grids are hydrophilic and are available with positive or negative surface charge as well as a variety of other chemical moieties. The functionalized surfaces have a shelf-life >3 months.

Type B: 3 nm carbon film on holey carbon on 400 mesh Cu .

Type A: 10 nm amorphous carbon film on 3.05 mm 400 mesh Cu grid.

Two grid configurations are currently available as shown on the right. In addition, Dune is currently offering C-SMART Gold grids that are pre-embedded with 5-10 nm gold nanoparticle fiduciary markers with for electron tomography. See our BioGrids page for more information on specific applications for different surfaces.

A comparison of the benefits of C-SMART Grids versus traditional carbon grids and our SiO₂ SMART Grids can be found here.