Direct imaging of micelle dynamics with an electron microscope*

Direct imaging of single micelle dynamics and the kinetics of their assembly is not possible with conventionally used imaging techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or cryo-TEM. In this talk, I will discuss our efforts to image the dynamics of simple block copolymer micelles using liquid-phase TEM. By directly visualizing small micellar assemblies in solution, we demonstrate the structure-dependent dynamics of these assemblies, with intriguing surprises.