Influence of structural variations on high-resolution electron microscopy images of poly[1,6-di(N-carbazolyl)2,4-hexadiyne] nanocrystals

Abstract

Abstract High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) was used to obtain information about structural variations in poly[1,6-di(N-carbazolyl)-2,4-hexadiyne) (polyDCHD) nanocrystals. Several particles in different crystallographic zones were imaged with high spatial resolution of up to 0.19nm, resulting in image information on a subunit-cell level (a = 1.74nm, b = 1.29nm and c = 0.49nm; β = 108.3°, P21/a; Z = 2). The average nanocrystal had a nominally rectangular shape and a size of about 40 nm × 80 nm with the major growth direction along the polymer chains (001). Most of the HREM images correspond to the [100] or [120] zone. In a few cases, it was also possible to image crystals oriented in the [001] zone with the polymer chain axis normal to the carbon substrate. Image interpretation was done by comparison with multislice HREM image simulations based on an approximation for the crystal structure and imaging conditions. These simulations performed for polyDCHD indicate that the HREM image is sensitive to ...