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Strategies for elemental mapping from energy-filtered TEM of polymeric materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2018

Brooke Kuei ,
Bernd Kabius ,
Jennifer L. Gray  and
Enrique D. Gomez
Brooke Kuei
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Bernd Kabius
Affiliation:
Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Jennifer L. Gray
Affiliation:
Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Enrique D. Gomez*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
*
Address all correspondence to Enrique D. Gomez at edg12@psu.edu
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Abstract

Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy provides an opportunity to map the nanoscale elemental composition in polymeric systems. Nevertheless, it presents its own set of unique challenges in its application to soft materials. Here, we outline an optimized protocol for elemental mapping in soft materials using sulfur mapping of polymer/fullerene mixtures as an example. Three factors are crucial: (1) focusing at zero-loss, (2) using an objective aperture, and (3) maximizing signal-to-noise and counts for the chosen imaging conditions. Analyzing the corresponding source images, bright field images, and thickness maps can ensure optimum conditions are achieved for elemental mapping of polymers.

Type
Research Letters
Information
MRS Communications , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2018 , pp. 1321 - 1327
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2018 

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