Em 400 detecting unit

UV-vis spectra (400–700 nm, 1 nm resolution) of the conjugated dispersed in PBS (1 mg ml^–1) were recorded in 1 cm quartz cells with a U-3000 Hitachi, UV-vis spectrometer.
Infrared spectra (from 4000 to 500 cm^–1) of the samples were collected with Perkin Elmer Spectrum One with Ge/Ge UATR.
For transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization, a 4 μl droplet of nanoparticles suspension was placed on a plain carbon-coated copper TEM grid and allowed to evaporate in air under ambient laboratory conditions for several hours. Bright field TEM images were obtained using a TEM (Philips CM12, FEI Ltd, UK) operating at 80 kV, fitted with an X-ray microanalysis detector (EM-400 Detecting Unit, EDAX UK) utilising EDAX's Genesis software. Typical magnification of the images was ×100 000. Images were recorded using a SIS MegaView III digital camera (SIS Analytical, Germany) and analyzed with the software ImageJ; the diameter of at least 150 particles for each synthetic condition was determined.
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed using a Stanton Redcroft, STA-780 series TGA; data were recorded from 25 to 600 °C with a constant heating rate of 10 °C per minute.