SBIR Phase II: NanoIR: Infrared Chemical Spectroscopy at the sub-20 nm Scale

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目将涉及红外纳米光谱学的研究和开发，从而产生第一个能够在20纳米以下尺度上对各种样品进行红外光谱和化学成像的商用仪器。我们将开发和演示关键技术，以显着提高原子力显微镜红外光谱（AFM-IR）的分辨率和灵敏度。传统的红外光谱是化学表征中使用最广泛的技术，但基本的限制阻碍了它在纳米尺度上的应用。原子力显微镜具有优异的空间分辨率，但直到最近才能够进行化学光谱分析。AFM-IR已经证明了远低于传统衍射极限的红外光谱，但目前的空间分辨率和灵敏度在100-200 nm之间，并且该方法需要专门的样品制备。这项工作将扩展成功的第一阶段研究，以开发一种强大的仪器，以最少的样品制备获得各种样品的高分辨率化学光谱。该项目将把模拟与实验技术和原型仪器的开发结合起来，使红外光谱和化学成像的商业化达到单层和单个分子的规模。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是为研究人员提供强大的能力，以充分利用红外光谱在宽波长范围内的能力，并在远低于当前限制的分辨率尺度上。红外光谱可以说是化学表征中使用最广泛的技术，但空间分辨率的限制阻碍了它在纳米尺度上的广泛应用。随着全球在纳米科学和纳米技术上数十亿美元的投资，红外纳米光谱技术的缺乏在所需的表征能力方面留下了巨大的差距。新型AFM-IR平台将为材料科学和生命科学提供广泛的高分辨率表征方法，包括形态、化学、机械和光学性质的相关性。根据客户早期的具体测量要求，我们预计在区块共聚物、高级聚合物纳米复合材料、功能纳米结构、催化剂、能源生成和存储材料以及许多其他领域的开发中，下游将获得显著的收益。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will involve research and development of infrared nanospectroscopy, leading to the first commercial instrument capable of infrared spectroscopy and chemical imaging at the sub-20 nm scale on a broad range of samples. We will develop and demonstrate key technologies to dramatically improve the resolution and sensitivity of atomic force microscope-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR). Conventional infrared spectroscopy is the most widely used technique for chemical characterization, but fundamental limits prevent it from being applied at the nanoscale. The AFM has excellent spatial resolution, but until recently had no ability to perform chemical spectroscopy. AFM-IR has demonstrated infrared spectroscopy at well below conventional diffraction limits, but the current spatial resolution and sensitivity are on the order of 100-200 nm, and the method requires specialized sample preparation. This effort will expand on successful Phase I research to develop a robust instrument for obtaining high-resolution chemical spectra on a wide variety of samples with minimal sample preparation. This project will combine simulations with development of experimental techniques and prototype instrumentation to enable commercialization of infrared spectroscopy and chemical imaging down to the scale of single monolayers and individual molecules.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be to give researchers a robust capability to leverage the power of infrared spectroscopy over broad wavelength ranges and at resolution scales well below current limits. Infrared spectroscopy is arguably the most widely used technique for chemical characterization, but spatial resolution limits have prevented it from being widely applied at the nanoscale. With billions of dollars of global investments in nanoscience and nanotechnology, the lack of IR nanospectroscopy technology leaves an enormous gap in needed characterization capabilities. The novel AFM-IR platform will enable a wide range of high-resolution characterization methodologies in materials science and life sciences including correlation of morphological, chemical, mechanical and optical properties. Based on specific early customer measurement requests, we anticipate significant downstream benefits in areas including the development of block co-polymers, advanced polymer nanocomposites, functional nanostructures, catalysts, materials for energy generation and storage, and many other areas.