Osmium Tetroxide Solution Preparation and Recipe

Osmium tetroxide solution is used as a fixative in electron microscopy.

To prepare

L of Osmium Tetroxide Solution:

Change the value in the textbox above to scale the recipe volume

Table 1. Required components

Component	Amount	Concentration
osmium tetroxide (mw: 254.23 g / mol)	#	#

Prepare 800 mL of distilled water in a suitable container.
Add # of osmium tetroxide to the solution
Add distilled water until the volume is 1 L.
Make sure that the lid is tight and well sealed. Wrap in aluminum foil and stand the bottle in a larger container, sealed with a screw cap. Leave the osmium tetroxide to dissolve for 2-3 days at 4°C. Dilute 1 in 5 in double-distilled H2O before use. Osmium tetroxide solutions may be stored at -20°C for up to 6 months.

References

This online resource may be cited as follows

MLA	"Quest Calculate™ Osmium Tetroxide Solution Preparation and Recipe." AAT Bioquest, Inc., 19 Jan. 2026, https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/osmium-tetroxide-solution.
APA	AAT Bioquest, Inc. (2026, January 19). Quest Calculate™ Osmium Tetroxide Solution Preparation and Recipe. AAT Bioquest. https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/osmium-tetroxide-solution.
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