I want to know the dispersion of the nanoparticles mixed in the polymer membranes, how could I do with it? I tried to paste the micrometer-scale-thick membrane on the electric-conductive tape to observe with SEM, but it can hardly work. Is there any other method to do this?
Sputter coat your membrane with Pt or Au... You can also use good old OsO4 paint.
did I understand correctly: first, you somehow incorporated the nanoparticles into the membrane material, then you somehow made the membrane?
now you want to investigate how the nanoparticles are distributed in the membrane? by using SEM?
if yes, ok, then you have 2 options which i would combine:
a) you put your membrane into liquid nitrogen and break it, then look at the break edge
b) you select a solvent or an oxidant (or try both) which can etch your surface (OsO4 may work, plasma may work, ozone may work, H2O2 may work, or some solvent which is capable to partially dissolve your memrane polymer, should not be a non-solvent, should not be a too good solvent.
I used all of these techniques in various examinations, I think it may help you. Good luck!
I think you better use TEM instead of SEM, because you want to characterize nanosize particles.
This is partially correct, but partially not, for the following reasons:
- for TEM, you need to make (ultra)thin section, this limits your view onto even more limited area than with SEM (which already gives limited insight, so requires a lot of locations to check, TEM even more, and for every location, you need to make the sections)
- as Wang Chao wants to find out about the distribution status of his nanoparticles, he should not apply too high of a magnification; anyway, the nanoparticles in a polymer matrics will not be smaller than 100 nm (at least not much smaller than that, never you can successfully disperse 10 nm in a polymer matrix), and 100 nm are easily resolvable with SEM
- modern SEM can also resolve down to 10 nm (I have already used a SEM which showed me 10 nm particles
- for the characterisation of the particles themselves, he can use the pure particles before incorporating into the polymer matrix.
You can use HR-TEM for the microstructure. Maybe STM is a good selection after SEM test. You could obtain the charge profile of the sample surface.
Using the SEM is a good choice, but you can use some complementary test too.
It would be possible to get benefit of some mechanical or thermal analysis to prove the uniformity of the properties of prepared nanocomposite membrane.
make polymer membranes in to slices very small a TEM person can do it for you... (under N2 liq.) and go for HR-TEM-EDX (EDX for nano particle characterization inside your membranes). it is hard for SEM in any manner (sorry sir @Bernhard Wessling on oxidizing with H2O2 and OsO4 there are chances of particle agglomeration... may increase the particle size, one can reduse it if particles are not Oxide like ZnO or else) b'coz you can not see the particles which are inside of polymers.. but HR-TEM-EDX can Do all your work in one single analysis. so...
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