Characterization of Polymer Interfaces by Energy-Filtering TEM

Abstract

Energy-Filtering TEM (EFTEM) was performed for the investigation of polymer interfaces. Polymer-polymer adhesion with various interfacial thicknesses formed between styrene-acrylonitrile random copolymer (SAN) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was studied by oxygen and nitrogen mapping and electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Polymer brushes grafted on silica nanoparticles and organic dyes adsorbed on silica nanoparticles have been successfully characterized by high-resolution carbon mapping with contamination-free TEM.