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Morphology of polymer films and single molecules
Author(s) -
Howell Barbara,
Reneker Darrell H.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1990.070400921
Subject(s) - copolymer , polymer , materials science , polystyrene , polymer chemistry , molecule , polyethylene , transmission electron microscopy , morphology (biology) , chemical engineering , chemistry , composite material , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , engineering , biology , genetics
Seven polymeric substances were examined by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. Features on the scale of the diameter of single molecular chains were observed. Polymers examined include (1) linear polyethylene ( M w = 52,000), (2) linear polyethylene ( M w approximately 5,000,000), (3) poly( cis ‐1,4‐butadiene), (4) poly‐γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate, (5) poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK), (6) deuterated polystyrene‐poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) block copolymer, and (7) a polydiacetylene, poly(1,12‐di(butoxy‐carbonylmethylurethanyl)‐5,8‐dodecadiyne), also called poly‐4BCMU. A variety of methods were used to prepare dispersed single molecules and very thin films, some of which had regions with strands containing only a few molecules. Staining with RuO 4 revealed structures near the surface of the films that were reproducible and characteristic of each polymer.