controlling protein adsorption on graphene for cryo-em using low-energy hydrogen plasmas
despite its many favorable properties as a sample support
for biological electron microscopy, graphene is not widely
used because its hydrophobicity precludes reliable protein
deposition. We describe a method to modify graphene with a
low-energy hydrogen plasma, which reduces hydrophobicity
without degrading the graphene lattice. use of plasma-treated
graphene enables better control of protein distribution in ice
for electron cryo-microscopy and improves image quality by
reducing radiation-induced sample motion