Electron diffraction of polysiloxane-bound metal complexes using energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM)

By means of specimen shifting and zero-loss energy filtering using an energ y-filtering transmission electron microscope, main amorphous halos with the centre corresponding to 0.7 nm are recorded from thin films of a polysilox ane-bound UO22+-complex as well as a polysiloxane-bound Eu3+-complex at roo m temperature. Furthermore, electron diffraction patterns measured at low t emperatures around 100 K show that the thin film of polysiloxane-bound UO22 +-complex becomes polycrystalline. These results show some analogy to the r esults of X-ray investigation [Andeianov K A et al. (1972) J. Polymer Sci. Part Al 10: 1-22] of the linear polydimethylsiloxane without binding metal- complex.