Scientific Achievement
- Soft Matter Electron Microscopy program’s research in Cryo-TEM imaging revealed the location of counterions near a charged polymeric nanofiber
Significance and Impact
- Opens the door to verifying molecular designs of synthetic pockets for capturing targeted counterions such as rare earth ions
Research Details
- Designed and synthesized a polypeptoid block copolymer that enabled imaging of counterions in solution
- The self-assembled nanofiber is a unique one-dimensional sample holder for atomic-scale imaging of charged species
- Experiments revealed the presence of water molecules between the charged polymer and the counterion
Publication Details
M. Seidler, T. Yu, X. Luo, D. Prendergast, R.N. Zuckermann, X. Jiang, N.P. Balsara, Macromolecules (2024).
DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.4c01417
Work was performed in the Molecular Foundry.
