The method to observe the exact morphology of swelled seaweed as an example of biological material by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with the aid of hydrophilic ionic liquid (IL); 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate is reported. Seaweed was first swelled in 3.5% NaCl solution and then treated with the IL and water mixture in 1:7 weight ratios and centrifuged to remove the excess IL solution. Thus treated seaweed maintained its morphology even at high magnification and did not show drying in the FE-SEM chamber. This observation technique might be useful for various kinds of biological materials to be observed under FE-SEM.
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