Automated TEM Reveals Intercrystalline Correlations of Conjugated Polymers

Macromolecules 2026 Open access

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Authors: Ryan A. Fair, Dhruv Gamdha, Joshua T. Del Mundo, Abigail M. Fenton, Agatha O’Connell, Karen C. Bustillo, Esther W. Gomez, Andrew M. Minor, Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, Enrique Daniel Gomez
DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5c02888
Cited by: 0
References: 39

Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) continues to transform polymer science by revealing key aspects of chain packing, phase separation and nanoscale structure. The development of instrumentation and data analyses tools is driving the field forward and enabling new experiments. Here, we use automated high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and image processing to identify the structure of a conjugated polymer used in organic electronics. Analysis of more than 600 HRTEM images reveals lattice parameters and orientation correlations between crystals, including the preferred alignment of neighboring crystals along the same crystallographic direction that is likely the result of liquid crystalline order.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications Polymer crystallization and properties Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics

Publication details

Journal / source
Macromolecules
Volume
59
Issue
4
Pages
2371–2378
Publication date
9 February 2026
Language
EN