Ghadir Nazari, Arash Arami‐Niya
Abstract Polymer blends, which are mixtures of two or more polymers, often consist of immiscible components that require compatibilization. To optimize the production efficiency of new materials, researchers necessitate an instructive, non-destructive, and rapid method for quantitative structural analysis. Raman Spectroscopy (RS) is a technique that fulfills these requirements, although its spatial resolution is limited by the diffraction limit of light. To overcome this limitation, Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS), which integrates the advantages of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and Raman spectroscopy, has emerged as a robust analytical method for polymer blends. TERS enables high-resolution, high-sensitivity local spectroscopic investigation and imaging, providing extensive chemical information. This review introduces polymer blends and discusses spectroscopic techniques for their characterization, with a particular focus on Raman and TERS techniques. Additionally, it examines the effects of polymer composition, crystallization, temperature, fillers, compatibilizers, and polymer interdiffusion on polymer blends using Raman spectroscopy. The unique applications of TERS and Tip-Enhanced Raman Microscopy (TERM) are highlighted, demonstrating their capability to investigate the surface molecular composition of polymer blends in situ and non-destructively. Pervious to discuss the advantages and limitations of RS, TERS and TERM, the phase behavior of polymer blends using RS, TERS, and TERM is explored.