Pushing the limits of high-resolution polymer microscopy using antioxidants

Kuei, Brooke; Gomez, Enrique D.

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-20363-1

Pushing the limits of high-resolution polymer microscopy using antioxidants

Journal Article · Fri Jan 08 00:00:00 EST 2021 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20363-1· OSTI ID:1816345

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Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; OSTI
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Materials Research Inst.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has been transformative to the field of polymer science, enabling the direct imaging of molecular structures. Although some materials have remarkable stability under electron beams, most HRTEM studies are limited by the electron dose the sample can handle. Beam damage of conjugated polymers is not yet fully understood, but it has been suggested that the diffusion of secondary reacting species may play a role. As such, we examine the effect of the addition of antioxidants to a series of solution-processable conjugated polymers as an approach to mitigating beam damage. Characterizing the effects of beam damage by calculating critical dose D_c values from the decay of electron diffraction peaks shows that beam damage of conjugated polymers in the TEM can be minimized by using antioxidants at room temperature, even if the antioxidant does not alter or incorporate into polymer crystals. As a consequence, the addition of antioxidants pushes the resolution limit of polymer microscopy, enabling imaging of a 3.6Å lattice spacing in poly[(5,6-difluoro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4,7-diyl)-alt-(3,3"-di(2-octyldodecyl)-2,2';5',2";5",2"-quaterthiophene-5,5"-diyl)] (PffBT4T-2OD).

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Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities Division

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1816345

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 12; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Pushing the limits of high-resolution polymer microscopy using antioxidants

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