Scientific Achievement

Researchers in the Soft Matter Electron Microscopy Program determined that the 4D-STEM technique reveals the spatial distribution and orientation of crystallites in polyethylene oxide (PEO), which are correlated with the electrochemical performance of PEO-based solid electrolytes.

Significance and Impact

Experimental proof of the hypothesis that preferential orientations of PEO crystallites form at interfaces in block copolymers, providing insight into self-assembly.

Research Details

• Established low-dose 4D-STEM imaging protocols for the direct imaging of beam-sensitive block co-polymers
• 4D-STEM virtual dark-field images clearly show the phase contrast of polymers without staining
• Domain Sizes and the relative angles of crystallites were quantitatively analyzed and visualized, which led to a new model for the structure of PEO crystals at interfaces

Publication Details

M. Chen, K.C. Bustillo, V. Patel, B.H. Savitzky, H. Sternlicht, J.A. Maslyn, W.S. Loo, J. Ciston, C. Ophus, X. Jiang, N.P. Balsara, A.M. Minor, Macromolecules (2024).

DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02231

Work was performed in part at the Molecular Foundry.