NANOPHASES CONSISTING OF INDIVIDUAL POLYSTYRENE MOLECULES ON MICA IMAGED WITH SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

Scanning electron microscope images are presented of mica surfaces tre ated with an initiator and heated in the presence of styrene to obtain a grafted polymer. These images show''droplets' of a size correspondi ng to that of individual polystyrene molecules. Other experimental evi dence is presented which suggests that the.droplets are indeed individ ual molecules. The images are believed to be the first ever obtained o f individual, ''tethered' synthetic polymer molecules.