AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition
    Scanning Probe Microscopy Focus Topic Thursday Sessions
       Session SP+AS+BI+EM+MI+NS+SE+SS-ThA

Invited Paper SP+AS+BI+EM+MI+NS+SE+SS-ThA10
Multimodal and Multispectral Nano-imaging: Accessing the Structure Underlying the Function of Polymers, organic Photovoltaics, and Biomaterials

Thursday, October 31, 2013, 5:00 pm, Room 202 C

Session: Probe-sample Interactions, Nano-manipulation and Emerging Instrument Formats
Presenter: M.B. Raschke, University of Colorado at Boulder
Correspondent: Click to Email
The properties of many functional soft-matter systems, including polymer heterostructures, organic photovoltaics, and biomembranes are typically defined on the mesoscopic few nm to sub-micron scale. Scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) has demonstrated its ability to access the relevant spatial regime. In combination with IR-vibrational spectroscopy s-SNOM provides molecular structural information. However, a yet higher degree of specificity, sensitivity, and selectivity with respect to specific molecular functional features is desired. We will discuss the combination of scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) with other nano-optical and scanning probe modalities. That together with the multi-spectral features of different coherent and incoherent IR sources including tunable continuous-wave lasers, femtosecond sources, broadband synchrotron radiation, and thermal near-field radiation provides the desired enhanced dynamic range to probe at the level of the intra- and intermolecular interaction. This results in a unprecedented degree of specificity, sensitivity, and selectivity with respect to specific molecular functional features, as we will discuss for several specific block-copolymer, organic photovoltaic, protein, self-assembled monolayer, and biomineral systems we investigated.