Staining of poly(ethylene terephthalate) by ruthenium tetroxide

The staining of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) by ruthenium tetroxide (RuO₄) is used to obtain a contrast at the crystalline lamellar scale in transmission electron microscopy. This paper demonstrates the efficiency of this technique conducted in vapor phase on ultracut bulk samples. Advantages of this method against other contrast enhancing techniques and the parameters of staining are discussed. The depth of attack is measured and is shown to be limited by a crosslinking process. The chemical mechanisms are investigated by grazing infrared spectroscopy and involve the oxidation of the aliphatic moeities of PET.