Journal
SOFT MATTER
Volume 8, Issue 12, Pages 3322-3328Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/c2sm07040e
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Funding
- University of Warwick
- EPSRC
- Science City Research Alliance
- HEFCE
- NIH-NCRR COBRE [P20RR017716]
- NIST, U.S. Department of Commerce [70NANB7H6178]
- Birmingham Science City
- Advantage West Midlands
- European Regional Development Fund
- Wellcome Trust [055663/Z/98/Z]
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EP/G004897/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH RESOURCES [P20RR017716] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- EPSRC [EP/G004897/1] Funding Source: UKRI
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Block copolymers are well-known to self-assemble into a range of 3-dimensional morphologies. However, due to their nanoscale dimensions, resolving their exact structure can be a challenge. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful technique for achieving this, but for polymeric assemblies chemical fixing/staining techniques are usually required to increase image contrast and protect specimens from electron beam damage. Graphene oxide (GO) is a robust, water-dispersable, and nearly electron transparent membrane: an ideal support for TEM. We show that when using GO supports no stains are required to acquire high contrast TEM images and that the specimens remain stable under the electron beam for long periods, allowing sample analysis by a range of electron microscopy techniques. GO supports are also used for further characterization of assemblies by atomic force microscopy. The simplicity of sample preparation and analysis, as well as the potential for significantly increased contrast background, make GO supports an attractive alternative for the analysis of block copolymer assemblies.
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