Apertureless near-field vibrational imaging of block-copolymer nanostructures with ultrahigh spatial resolution
Reviews and Highlights | Quantum Science | Molecular and Soft-matter | Ultrafast Nano-optics and Nanophotonics | Mineralogy and Geochemistry |
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Markus B. Raschke, Leopoldo Molina, Thomas Elsaesser, Dong Ha Kim, Wolfgang Knoll, and Karsten Hinrichs
ChemPhysChem 6, 2197 (2005).
DOI PDF
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Nanodomains formed by microphase separation in thin films of the diblock copolymers poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) and poly(styrene-b-ethyleneoxide) (PS-b-PEO) were imaged by means of infrared scattering-type near-field microscopy. When probing at 3.39 mum (2950 cm(-1)), contrast is obtained due to spectral differences between the C–H stretching vibrational resonances of the respective polymer constituents. An all-optical spatial resolution better than 10 nm was achieved, which corresponds to a sensitivity of just several thousand C–H groups facilitated by the local-field enhancement at the sharp metallic probe tips. The results demonstrate that infrared spectroscopy with access to intramolecular dimensions is within reach.