Microparticles Trapped in Holes of Plasmonic Mesh: Cataloging IR Absorption Spectra of Individual 1-5 micron Particles

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"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."The Analytical and Surface Chemistry (ASC) program of the Division of Chemistry supports the research program of Prof. James V. Coe of the Ohio State University. The Coe Group has developed a new method for recording "scatter-free" infrared (IR) absorption spectra of individual microparticles in the 1-5 micrometer size regime, using a standard FTIR imaging microspectrometer by placing a microparticle in a hole of plasmonic metal mesh. Particles of this size are important to human health because they get past our noses and throats and are efficiently trapped in our lungs - in fact death rates are known to rise with increases in airborne particulate matter. The group will employ this new method to analyze the chemical content of airborne dust particles, which may be important in identifying or quantifying respiratory health risks. These new techniques will also be applied to individual yeast cells which are smaller than most of the infrared wavelength range and subject to large scattering effects. Success would be broadly applicable in the biological sciences. Finally, in addition to the training of graduate students in the new field of plasmonics for chemistry, Prof. Coe and his students will enable the remote use of a cyber-enabled imaging Raman microspectrometer by students from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama and California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson,California.