Carbonaceous contaminants on support films for transmission electron microscopy

Evaporated carbon support films for transmission electron microscopy often contain carbonaceous contaminants. These include poorly graphitized carbon, fragments of graphite, and fullerene-like structures such as nanotubes and nanoparticles. In some cases, carbyne crystals may also be present. There are many examples in the carbon literature where these contaminants have be en mistaken for sample material. This paper describes the kinds of contamin ants observed on grids obtained from a number of commercial suppliers. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.