Characterization of Polymer Materials by Fluorescence Imaging

Characterization of polymer materials by fluorescence imaging offers valuable additional information to transmission electron microscopy. Only a few polymers show an autofluorescence effect for visible light excitation. The polyurethanes and poly(phenylene ether) belong to these groups and can be studied in fluorescence without staining. The majority of polymers however have to be stained with fluorophores to be imaged. Neocarmine, Lumogen F-Rot 300, Fluoresceine and Rhodamine, are important dyes for staining polymers. Some examples on Neocarmine-and Lumogen-staining are explained below. All images were obtained with a Leica TCS4D Laser Scan Microscope (CLSM).