Oxidative doping renders graphene hydrophilic, facilitating its use as a support in biological TEM.

Graphene represents the first practical realization of crystalline supports in biological transmission electron microscopy (TEM) since their introduction over 30 years ago. The high transparency, minimal inelastic cross-section, and electrical conductivity of graphene are highly desirable characteristics for a TEM support. However, without a suitable method for rendering graphene supports, hydrophilic applications are limited. This work describes the in situ functionalization of graphene with minimal structural degradation, rendering TEM supports sufficiently hydrophilic for the mounting of biological samples.