Nanoscale artifacts in RuO4-stained poly(styrene)

This research studies the effects of RuO₄ exposure on various samples of poly(styrene) (PS). Transmission electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) shows a decrease in the 7 eV π-π∗ transition characteristic of aromatic rings in PS indicating that RuO₄ covalently alters aromatic character. Imaging and selected-area electron diffraction show that a layer of RuO₂ solid forms on the surface of bulk PS specimens exposed to RuO₄. High-resolution TEM imaging (HREM) shows that RuO₂ nanocrystals consistently condense on specimen surfaces, independent of the chemical nature of the specimen below. These nanocrystals modulate contrast at length scales on the order of 2-5 nm in TEM images and limit resolution at nanometer length scales.