Nonlinear optical spectroscopy for studying surface chemistry at complex interfaces and super-resolution optical microscopy

用于研究复杂界面的表面化学和超分辨率光学显微镜的非线性光谱

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-03581
• 负责人: Chou, KengChang
• 金额: $ 3.13万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=647625
• 关键词: Nonlinear; optical; spectroscopy; studying; surface

We use lasers as main analytical tools to study surface chemistry under ambient conditions, such as air/liquid and liquid/solid interfaces. Analysis of these complex interfaces is technically challenging because most analytical techniques cannot penetrate a liquid layer to access the buried liquid/solid interface. Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy allows us to obtain molecular-level information about these complex interfaces. We will use a new approach to carry out SFG spectroscopy and obtain new knowledge about the adsorption and orientation of molecules at the interfaces. The information is important for understanding many physical, chemical, and biological processes related to the environment, water treatments, material and biological systems.** Additionally, we take advantage of special optical properties of lasers to build a new type of optical microscopes, called super-resolution microscopes, which are capable of imaging 20 times below the diffraction limit. It was believed since Ernst Abbe calculated the theoretical diffraction-limited resolution in 1873 that optical microscopy would never reach resolutions better than half the wavelength of light (~250 nm). However, the situation has changed in the past several years due to the combined efforts of physicists, chemists, and biologists. This proposal will present two different super-resolution microscopes built at UBC with 10 - 50 nm resolution to investigate biological/biochemical processes, such as Ca2+ dynamics in heart muscle cells, domain formation in plasma membranes, and neuron developments. The unprecedented spatial resolution of the new microscopes has totally changed our expectations for imaging and will provide many new possibilities for researchers.

我们使用激光作为主要的分析工具来研究环境条件下的表面化学，如空气/液体和液体/固体界面。对这些复杂界面的分析在技术上具有挑战性，因为大多数分析技术无法穿透液体层进入埋藏的液/固界面。和频产生(SFG)振动光谱使我们能够获得关于这些复杂界面的分子水平信息。我们将使用一种新的方法来进行SFG光谱，并获得关于分子在界面上的吸附和取向的新知识。这些信息对于了解与环境、水处理、材料和生物系统有关的许多物理、化学和生物过程非常重要。**此外，我们利用激光的特殊光学特性建立了一种新型的光学显微镜，称为超分辨率显微镜，它能够在衍射极限下成像20倍。自从1873年阿贝计算了理论上的衍射极限分辨率以来，人们相信光学显微镜永远不会达到光波长(~250 nm)的一半以下的分辨率。然而，由于物理学家、化学家和生物学家的共同努力，这种情况在过去几年里发生了变化。这项提议将展示两台不同的超分辨率显微镜，分辨率为10-50 nm，用于研究生物/生化过程，如心肌细胞中的钙动态、质膜结构域的形成和神经元的发育。新显微镜前所未有的空间分辨率彻底改变了我们对成像的期望，并将为研究人员提供许多新的可能性。