Polarized-light optical microscopy copolymer

Freeze-fracture reveals intravesicular details in three dimensions. Samples are frozen rapidly in liquid nitrogen and fractured to reveal internal structure. Additionally, lyotropic behavior of amphiphilic ABA triblock copolymers in water has been investigated using polarized light optical microscopy and freeze-fracture TEM [188],... 

Light microscopy has been used in a number of contexts to characterize block copolymer morphology. For crystalline block copolymers, spherulitic structures that result from organization of crystalline lamellae can be examined using microscopy. In solutions, polarized light microscopy can reveal the presence of lamellar and hexagonal-packed cylindrical micellar phases. Cubic micellar phases are optically isotropic, and consequently cannot be distinguished from sols only on the basis of microscopy. 

Fig. 5.47 A polarized light micrograph (A) of a polyester-nylon copol)nner shows bright and dark bands obscuring the spherulitic texture. Phase contrast optical microscopy (B) reveals the dispersed phase texture of the copolymer which consists of multiple phases where the dispersed phase particles contain subinclusions of the matrix polymer.

---