Mitigating Radiation Damage to Polyethylene in Transmission Electron Microscopy by Free Radical Scavengers

Polyethylene (PE) is the most extensively used semicrystalline polymer due to its wide array of applications. The properties of PE are influenced by its nanosized crystals and amorphous regions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a vital tool for revealing the nanostructures within materials. However, high-energy incident electrons can inflict radiolysis damage through electron irradiation, resulting in the loss of crucial information regarding crystallization. In this study, we examine the effect of free radical scavengers on PE as an approach to mitigating beam damage. Quantifying the beam damage by critical dose (<i>D</i> _c) values from the decay of electron diffraction (ED) peaks shows that the beam damage of PE in TEM can be mitigated by casting an aqueous solution containing a free radical scavenger on PE crystals. The protective effect of the free radical scavenger is attributed to the efficient scavenging of reactive radical species by its hydroxyl group on phenols. This study highlights a nonincorporative approach into materials to mitigate the beam damage by the coating of free radical scavengers on all kinds of materials.