Low temperature photo pyroelectric study on the glassy state in the presence of cryoprotectants - comparison with DSC and viscosity studies.

Cryopreservation is gaining more importance in today’s industry as it is an important tool for the preservation of biological cells or tissues for future studies or transplantation. In vitrification, a well practiced cryopreservation technique, addition of cryoprotectants is an essential part to avoid ice formation. Studying the glassy state and the fragility is very important to understand the capability of cryoprotective agents of being used in vitrification. Photopyroelectric (PPE) technique is an accurate method to determine the thermal fluctuations in a sample. This paper emphasis on the setup and calibration of an instrument using PPE technique between -180°C and room temperature and the method used to find the glass transition temperature and fragility parameter from PPE. It concludes with a comparative study using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and viscosity measurements giving a better understanding about the glass transition temperature (Tg) and fragility (m).