@article{13f442deeb954478ad72a4bd89249454,
title = "Multimodal STEM Investigation of Polymer Damage Processes Induced by Electron Beam Irradiation",
abstract = "Self-assembled polymer nanostructures are useful for many applications, including biomedicine, energy, and sensing, often presenting a more stable and customizable alternative for drug delivery than lipid-based assemblies, like liposomes. Polyethylene glycol-b-poly(propylene sulfide) (PEG-b-PPS) nanostructures are an example of a cutting-edge self-assembled polymer system. Here, to better understand the impact of electron irradiation on the molecular and macroscale structure, we utilize analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy. Through electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), we access information regarding the degradation of PEG-b-PPS self-assembled polymers under the electron beam. By coupling the spatial and temporal resolution afforded by EELS, we describe the movement of elements in the polymer system during radiolysis and propose a mechanism for sample degradation. We believe this work will serve as a blueprint to determine the effects of electron irradiation on polymer architectures via spectroscopy.",
keywords = "EELS, electron beam damage nanoparticles, polymers",
author = "Chamille Lescott and Sharan Bobbala and Mallika Modak and {Dos Reis}, Roberto and Scott, {Evan A.} and Dravid, {Vinayak P.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was primarily supported by Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFSOR) FA9550-17-1-0348 (subproject for Reconfigurable Matter from Programmable Atom Equivalents) and C-ABN(AFRL) FA8650-15-2-5518 (Statistics and Dynamics of Soft Biological Structures and Hybrid Soft-Hard Assemblies). Additional funding from ARO/MURI W911NF1810200 (Dravid Subproject for Stimuli-Responsive Control of Protein-Based Molecular Biology). The research of Evan A Scott is supported by the National Science Foundation (CAREER-1453576), the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award (NHLBI 1DP2HL132390-01), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID 5R01AI145345-02). This work made use of the BioCryo facility of Northwestern University's NUANCE Center, which has received support from the SHyNE Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633), the IIN, and Northwestern's MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Author(s).",
year = "2023",
month = feb,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1093/micmic/ozac023",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "29",
pages = "16--26",
journal = "Microscopy and Microanalysis",
issn = "1431-9276",
publisher = "Cambridge University Press",
number = "1",
}