Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation

Abstract Cryopreservation by vitrification could transform fields ranging from organ transplantation to wildlife conservation, but critical physical challenges remain in scaling this approach from microscopic to macroscopic systems, including the threat of fracture due to accumulated thermal stresse...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Soheil Kavian, Ronald Sellers, Gabriel Arismendi Sanchez, Crysthal Alvarez, Guillermo Aguilar, Matthew J. Powell-Palm
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13295-7
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849388023420026880
author Soheil Kavian
Ronald Sellers
Gabriel Arismendi Sanchez
Crysthal Alvarez
Guillermo Aguilar
Matthew J. Powell-Palm
author_facet Soheil Kavian
Ronald Sellers
Gabriel Arismendi Sanchez
Crysthal Alvarez
Guillermo Aguilar
Matthew J. Powell-Palm
author_sort Soheil Kavian
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cryopreservation by vitrification could transform fields ranging from organ transplantation to wildlife conservation, but critical physical challenges remain in scaling this approach from microscopic to macroscopic systems, including the threat of fracture due to accumulated thermal stresses. Here, we provide experimental and computational evidence that these stresses are strongly dependent on the glass transition temperature $$\:{T}_{g}$$ of the vitrification solution, a property which, given the narrow band of chemistries represented within common vitrification solutions, is seldom investigated in thermomechanical analyses. We develop a custom cryomacroscope platform to image glass cracking in four aqueous solution chemistries spanning > 50 °C in $$\:{T}_{g}$$ ; we process these images using semantic segmentation deep learning algorithms to analyze the extent of cracking in each; and we perform thermomechanical finite element simulations to disentangle the multiphysics effects driving the observed dependency, providing new insights to inform design of next-generation vitrification solutions that minimize thermal cracking risks.
format Article
id doaj-art-c8cfbe2552f347c096a70203efa552ea
institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-c8cfbe2552f347c096a70203efa552ea2025-08-20T03:42:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-13295-7Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservationSoheil Kavian0Ronald Sellers1Gabriel Arismendi Sanchez2Crysthal Alvarez3Guillermo Aguilar4Matthew J. Powell-Palm5Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityAbstract Cryopreservation by vitrification could transform fields ranging from organ transplantation to wildlife conservation, but critical physical challenges remain in scaling this approach from microscopic to macroscopic systems, including the threat of fracture due to accumulated thermal stresses. Here, we provide experimental and computational evidence that these stresses are strongly dependent on the glass transition temperature $$\:{T}_{g}$$ of the vitrification solution, a property which, given the narrow band of chemistries represented within common vitrification solutions, is seldom investigated in thermomechanical analyses. We develop a custom cryomacroscope platform to image glass cracking in four aqueous solution chemistries spanning > 50 °C in $$\:{T}_{g}$$ ; we process these images using semantic segmentation deep learning algorithms to analyze the extent of cracking in each; and we perform thermomechanical finite element simulations to disentangle the multiphysics effects driving the observed dependency, providing new insights to inform design of next-generation vitrification solutions that minimize thermal cracking risks.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13295-7Glass transitionPhase changeThermal stressVitrification
spellingShingle Soheil Kavian
Ronald Sellers
Gabriel Arismendi Sanchez
Crysthal Alvarez
Guillermo Aguilar
Matthew J. Powell-Palm
Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation
Scientific Reports
Glass transition
Phase change
Thermal stress
Vitrification
title Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation
title_full Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation
title_fullStr Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation
title_full_unstemmed Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation
title_short Higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation
title_sort higher glass transition temperatures reduce thermal stress cracking in aqueous solutions relevant to cryopreservation
topic Glass transition
Phase change
Thermal stress
Vitrification
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13295-7
work_keys_str_mv AT soheilkavian higherglasstransitiontemperaturesreducethermalstresscrackinginaqueoussolutionsrelevanttocryopreservation
AT ronaldsellers higherglasstransitiontemperaturesreducethermalstresscrackinginaqueoussolutionsrelevanttocryopreservation
AT gabrielarismendisanchez higherglasstransitiontemperaturesreducethermalstresscrackinginaqueoussolutionsrelevanttocryopreservation
AT crysthalalvarez higherglasstransitiontemperaturesreducethermalstresscrackinginaqueoussolutionsrelevanttocryopreservation
AT guillermoaguilar higherglasstransitiontemperaturesreducethermalstresscrackinginaqueoussolutionsrelevanttocryopreservation
AT matthewjpowellpalm higherglasstransitiontemperaturesreducethermalstresscrackinginaqueoussolutionsrelevanttocryopreservation