To characterize polymers by transmission electron microscopy it is necessary to use selective staining techniques in order to obtain meaningful results. The combination of a transmission electron microscope with an energy filter system as in the LEO 912 Ω however provides additional analytical information which in particular cases allows imaging without the necessity of staining. Especially a π-π*-resonance at about 6 eV in the low loss electron energy loss spectrum of polymers containing aromatic groups is suitable for imaging. These energy loss electrons are selected by a 2 eV slit in the energy dispersive plane of the spectrometer to form an image. This special type of energy spectroscopic imaging (ESI) can also be referred to as chemical imaging.

This paper presents morphological results on polymer systems containing aromatic components. Micrographs of ultra thin sections were acquired with a 2 eV energy slit at 6 eV electron loss in a LEO 912 π