SPI-Chem™ Uranyl Acetate
Formula: C
4H
6O
6U · 2H
2O
Appearance: Yellow free-flowing crystalline solids
CAS: #6159-44-0
MW: 424.15 SG: 3.2
Insoluble: 0.009%
RTECS: YR3600000
Uranyl acetate is a very popular and widely used negative and nuclear stain
and it interacts with nuclear acids in a really unique way. Users are
cautioned to not use aluminum foil for the sealing of uranyl acetate
solutions because if you permit some of the solution to contaminate the
aluminum foil, the foil will decompose into a mess,
eventually contaminating the uranyl acetate solution. A much better choice
would be
Parafilm® laboratory sealing
film for this application. The use of uranyl acetate does require ultra high
purity and care with your work, and if you are not careful,
one can easily end up with "goop" in their samples.
SPI starts with bulk manufactured material that meets or exceeds the specifications for ACS certified material
before packaging, and each batch of
SPI-Chem Uranyl Acetate
must pass a water solubility test prior to "final" packaging.
During the recent past, some of our competitors have put onto the market
Uranyl Acetate
that was not up to the standard needed for high quality electron microscopy. Simply put,
the powder just did not seem to want to dissolve. Special know-how is needed in order to
make the powder "fast dissolving". And the SPI-Chem uranyl acetate indeed does dissolve quickly.
SPI Supplies offers a reliable supply of other hard-to-find electron dense stains,
including
uranyl formate and
uranyl nitrate.
Let us know what other needs you might have for any uranium based compounds, we are set up
to produce just about anything in the way of uranium compounds,
always with depleted uranium
for safety and virtually no exposure hazards. We also offer the very newest in the way of electron dense stains, including
uranyl magnesium acetate and
uranyl zinc acetate.
This material is made from depleted uranium, meaning that it is uranium
from which the radioactive isotopes have been greatly reduced in concentration.
For really the highest quality TEM work on tissue specimens, the general consensus would suggest
that there really is no acceptable substitute for uranyl acetate. There are always "apparent"
alternatives but when you look closely at the chemistry of what is happening, you are forced to
conclude that they work in different ways, and therefore are not showing the same things.
Our recommendation is to keep uranyl acetate away from light for both
staining as well as storage of the aqueous solution as well as the dry
crystals. Even some fluorescent lights can cause precipitation and other
deleterious effects in the samples.
UN #2910
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