Water dynamics and interactions in water-polyether binary mixtures

Poly(ethylene) oxide (PEO) is a technologically important polymer with a wide range of applications including ion-exchange membranes, protein crystallization, and medical devices. PEO's versatility arises from its special interactions with water. Water molecules may form hydrogen-bond bridges between the ether oxygens of the backbone. While steady-state measurements and theoretical studies of PEO's interactions with water abound, experiments measuring dynamic observables are quite sparse. A major question is the nature of the interactions of water with the ether oxygens as opposed to the highly hydrophilic PEO terminal hydroxyls. Here, we examine a wide range of mixtures of water and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDE), a methyl-terminated derivative of PEO with 4 repeat units (5 ether oxygens), using ultrafast infrared polarization selective pump-probe measurements on water's hydroxyl stretching mode to determine vibrational relaxation and orientational relaxation dynamics. The experiments focus on the dynamical interactions of water with the ether backbone because TEGDE does not have the PEO terminal hydroxyls. The experiments observe two distinct subensembles of water molecules: those that are hydrogen bonded to other waters and those that are associated with TEGDE molecules. The water orientational relaxation has a fast component of a few picoseconds (water-like) followed by much slower decay of approximately 20 ps (TEGDE associated). The two decay times vary only mildly with the water concentration. The two subensembles are evident even in very low water content samples, indicating pooling of water molecules. Structural change as water content is lowered through either conformational changes in the backbone or increasing hydrophobic interactions is discussed.

Significantly enhanced superbroadband near infrared emission in bismuth/aluminum doped high-silica zeolite derived nanoparticles

Significantly enhanced superbroadband near infrared emission has been realized in bismuth/aluminum doped high-silica zeolite derived nanoparticles. The emission intensity can be easily tailored by the introduction of aluminum. The luminescence lifetime can reach up to 695 micros. The results reveal that the existence of charge imbalance environment caused by [AlOV(4/2)](-) units in host materials is requisite to the formation of infrared-active Bi(+). The finding presents a feasible route to design high-efficient bismuth activated infrared luminescent nanoparticles. These bismuth doped nanoparticles may find applications as superbroadband near infrared nano optical sources.

Laser-based human breath analysis: D/H isotope ratio increase following heavy water intake

Following the ingestion of only 5.1 mL of D2O, a mid-infrared laser spectrometer determines the D/H isotope ratio increase in exhaled water vapor for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. This increase is still detectable several weeks after the heavy water intake. Collected breath samples are directly transferred into a high-temperature multipass cell operated at 373 K. No breath sample preparation is required. Aside from the capability to hinder unwanted condensation, measurements at elevated temperatures offer other advantages such as a lower temperature dependence of the delta value or the possibility to vary the intensity of absorption lines. We lay the foundation for many laser-based clinical applications. As an example, we measure a total body water weight of 55.2%+/-1.8% with respect to the total body weight, in agreement with the normal value of the male population.

Submicrometer infrared surface imaging using a scanning-probe microscope and an optical parametric oscillator laser

Submicrometer IR surface imaging was performed with a resolution better than the diffraction limit. The apparatus was based on an IR optical parametric oscillator laser and a commercial atomic force microscope and used, as the detection mechanism, induced resonant oscillations in an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever. For the first time to our knowledge this was achieved with top-down illumination and a benchtop IR source, thus extending the range of potential applications of this technique. IR absorption and AFM topography images of polystyrene beads were recorded simultaneously with an image resolution of 200 nm.

How to turn your pump-probe instrument into a multidimensional spectrometer: 2D IR and Vis spectroscopies via pulse shaping

We have recently developed a new and simple way of collecting 2D infrared and visible spectra that utilizes a pulse shaper and a partly collinear beam geometry. 2D IR and Vis spectroscopies are powerful tools for studying molecular structures and their dynamics. They can be used to correlate vibrational or electronic eigenstates, measure energy transfer rates, and quantify the dynamics of lineshapes, for instance, all with femtosecond time-resolution. As a result, they are finding use in systems that exhibit fast dynamics, such as sub-millisecond chemical and biological dynamics, and in hard-to-study environments, such as in membranes. While powerful, these techniques have been difficult to implement because they require a series of femtosecond pulses to be spatially and temporally overlapped with precise time-resolution and interferometric phase stability. However, many of the difficulties associated with implementing 2D spectroscopies are eliminated by using a pulse shaper and a simple beam geometry, which substantially lowers the technical barriers required for researchers to enter this exciting field while simultaneously providing many new capabilities. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the methods for collecting 2D spectra so that an outsider considering using 2D spectroscopy in their own research can judge which approach would be most suitable for their research aims. This paper focuses primarily on 2D IR spectroscopy, but also includes our recent work on adapting this technology to collecting 2D Vis spectra. We review work that has already been published as well as cover several topics that we have not reported previously, including phase cycling methods to remove background signals, eliminate unwanted scatter, and shift data collection into the rotating frame.

Off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy with a mid-infrared interband cascade laser for real-time breath ethane measurements

Cavity-enhanced tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy is an attractive method for measuring small concentrations of gaseous species. Ethane is a breath biomarker of lipid peroxidation initiated by reactive oxygen species. A noninvasive means of quickly quantifying oxidative stress status has the potential for broad clinical application. We present a simple, compact system using off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy with an interband cascade laser and demonstrate its use in real-time measurements of breath ethane. We demonstrate a detection sensitivity of 0.48 ppb/Hz(1/2).

Multimodal optical sensing and analyte specificity using single-walled carbon nanotubes

Nanoscale sensing elements offer promise for single-molecule analyte detection in physically or biologically constrained environments. Single-walled carbon nanotubes have several advantages when used as optical sensors, such as photostable near-infrared emission for prolonged detection through biological media and single-molecule sensitivity. Molecular adsorption can be transduced into an optical signal by perturbing the electronic structure of the nanotubes. Here, we show that a pair of single-walled nanotubes provides at least four modes that can be modulated to uniquely fingerprint agents by the degree to which they alter either the emission band intensity or wavelength. We validate this identification method in vitro by demonstrating the detection of six genotoxic analytes, including chemotherapeutic drugs and reactive oxygen species, which are spectroscopically differentiated into four distinct classes, and also demonstrate single-molecule sensitivity in detecting hydrogen peroxide. Finally, we detect and identify these analytes in real time within live 3T3 cells, demonstrating multiplexed optical detection from a nanoscale biosensor and the first label-free tool to optically discriminate between genotoxins.

High-resolution broadband (>100 cm-1) infrared heterodyne spectro-radiometry using an external cavity quantum cascade laser

Broadband thermal infrared heterodyne spectro-radiometry using an external cavity quantum cascade laser as a tunable local oscillator has been performed over a frequency range of more than 100 cm(-1) at a central frequency of 1190 cm(-1). Heterodyne spectro-radiometry is demonstrated for two local oscillator tuning modes: broadband tuning for transmission and emission spectroscopy of broadband absorbers (Freon 12), and broadband frequency selection in combination with fine continuous frequency tuning for high-resolution (0.021 cm(-1)) transmission spectroscopy (N(2)O). In each case concentration retrievals are performed and analyzed. The spectroradiometer noise level is demonstrated to be twenty two and eight times the fundamental shot-noise limit in the two scanning modes respectively.

Stimulus level estimation using functional near-infra-red data and neural network

In this paper we applied a well-tested neural network, so-called Supervised Fuzzy Adaptive Resonance (SF), to investigate the potential of functional Near-Infra-Red (fNIR) spectroscopy for automated assessment of physical stimulus intensity. To induce mild, moderate and severe physical stimuli, we asked the participants to keep their left hand in the ice water for gradually increased durations. Initial tests with fNIR data from 6 healthy participants (36 trials) indicated that SF is a reliable automated method to estimate the intensity of the induced stimuli with a high accuracy.

Can we use the CO2 concentrations determined by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry from small samples for the Keeling plot approach?

A common method to estimate the carbon isotopic composition of soil-respired air is to use Keeling plots (delta(13)C versus 1/CO2 concentration). This approach requires the precise determination of both CO2 concentration ([CO2]), usually measured with an infrared gas analyser (IRGA) in the field, and the analysis of delta(13)C by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) in the laboratory. We measured [CO2] with an IRGA in the field (n = 637) and simultaneously collected air samples in 12 mL vials for analysis of the 13C values and the [CO2] using a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. In this study we tested if measurements by the IRGA and IRMS yielded the same results for [CO2], and also investigated the effects of different sample vial preparation methods on the [CO2] measurement and the thereby obtained Keeling plot results. Our results show that IRMS measurements of the [CO2] (during the isotope analysis) were lower than when the [CO2] was measured in the field with the IRGA. This is especially evident when the sample vials were not treated in the same way as the standard vials. From the three different vial preparation methods, the one using N2-filled and overpressurised vials resulted in the best agreement between the IRGA and IRMS [CO2] values. There was no effect on the (13)C-values from the different methods. The Keeling plot results confirmed that the overpressurised vials performed best. We conclude that in the cases where the ranges of [CO2] are large (>300 ppm; in our case it ranged between 70 and 1500 ppm) reliable estimation of the [CO2] with small samples using IRMS is possible for Keeling plot application. We also suggest some guidelines for sample handling in order to achieve proper results.

[Dynamics of cerebral circulation in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease--analysis with multi-channel near infra-red spectroscopic topography plus hand grasp as the exercise task]

We used multi-channel near infra-red spectroscopic topography to evaluate the dynamics of cerebral circulation of patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The subjects included 17 patients with chronic CVD, while 11 physically unimpaired persons served as controls. We used a spectroscopic topography device (Hitachi, ETG -100) to determine the topographic values of oxy-Hb, deoxy-Hb, and total-Hb in the right and left cerebral hemispheres. Hand grasp for 30 or 60 second duration was used as the exercise task, and each task was tried twice. In the control group, the oxy-Hb values of the left cerebral hemisphere were elevated by bilateral hand grasp, while those of the right cerebral hemisphere were elevated by left hand grasp. In patients with a lesion in the left cerebral hemisphere, oxy-Hb values of the left hemisphere were elevated by the bilateral hand grasp, while those of the right hemisphere were elevated only by the healthy left hand grasp. When the 30- and 60-second-duration grasp exercises were compared, it was found that the oxy-Hb values in the control group corresponded to the loading time. In patients with either right or left cerebral lesion, the oxy-Hb peak values were lower than those of the control group, while the peak values did not show any difference between the 30-and 60-seconds hand grip durations themselves. The latency from the start of the grasp to the maximum peak of the oxy-Hb value was significantly prolonged in CVD patients as compared with that in the control group. As for the relation between the degree of hemiparesis and the oxy-Hb values, the value of the oxy-Hb in the left cerebral hemisphere during right hand grasp decreases depending on the severity of paralysis induced by the left cerebral lesion. The determination of cerebral oxy-Hb values by near infra-red spectroscopic topography using exercise test appeared to be useful for the evaluation of the dynamic of cerebral circulation in stroke patients. Furthermore, the possibility of inducing recovery by the rehabilitation of stroke patients, who were in the chronic stage, should be studied.

Infrared spectroscopic methods for the study of aerosol particles using White cell optics: Development and characterization of a new aerosol flow tube

A description of a new aerosol flow tube apparatus for measurements in situ under atmospherically relevant conditions is presented here. The system consists of a laboratory-made nebulizer generation system and a flow tube with a White cell-based Fourier transform IR for the detection system. An assessment of the White cell coupled to the flow tube was carried out by an extensive set of experiments to ensure the alignment of the infrared beam and optimize the performance of this system. The detection limit for CO was established as (1.0+/-0.3) ppm and 16 passes was chosen as the optimum number of passes to be used in flow tube experiments. Infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize dry aerosol particles in the flow tube. Pure particles composed of ammonium sulfate or sodium chloride ranging between 0.8 and 2.1 mum for size diameter and (0.8-4.9)x10(6) particles/cm(3) for density number were generated by nebulization of aqueous solutions. Direct measurements of the aerosol particle size agree with size spectra retrieved from inversion of the extinction measurements using Mie calculations, where the difference residual value is in the order of 0.2%. The infrared detection limit for ammonium sulfate aerosol particles was determined as d(p)=0.9 mum and N=5x10(3) particles/cm(3) with sigma=1.1 by Mie calculation. Alternatively, Mie calculations were performed to determine the flexibility in varying the optical length when aerosol particles are sent by the injector. The very good agreement between the values retrieved for aerosol particles injected through the flow tube or through the injector clearly validates the estimation of the effective optical path length for the injector. To determine the flexibility in varying the reaction zone length, analysis of the extinction spectra as function of the position of the injector was carried out by monitoring the integrated area of different absorption modes of the ammonium sulfate. We conclude that the aerosol loss in the flow tube reactor is negligible and that the aerosol particles remain on-axis for the length of the flow tube.

A hydrogen-bonded organic nonlinear optical crystal for high-efficiency terahertz generation and detection

Broadband THz pulses have been generated in 2-[3-(4- hydroxystyryl)-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enylidene]malononitrile (OH1) by optical rectification of sub-picosecond laser pulses. We show that OH1 crystals allow velocity-matched generation and detection of THz frequencies in the whole range between 0.3 and 2.5 THz for a pump laser wavelength range from 1200 to 1460 nm. OH1 crystals show a higher figure of merit for THz generation and detection in the optimized range compared to the benchmark inorganic semiconductor crystals ZnTe and GaAs and the organic ionic salt crystal 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4'-N'-methyl stilbazolium tosylate (DAST). The material shows a low THz absorption coefficient alpha3 in the range between 0.3 and 2.5 THz, reaching values lower than 0.2mm(-1) between 0.7 and 1.0 THz. This is similar as in ZnTe and GaAs, but much lower than in DAST in the respective optimum frequency range. A peak THz electric field of 100 kV/cm and a photon conversion efficiency of 11 percent have been achieved at a pump pulse energy of 45 microJ.

Resonant plasmonic and vibrational coupling in a tailored nanoantenna for infrared detection

A novel resonant mechanism involving the interference of a broadband plasmon with the narrowband vibration from molecules is presented. With the use of this concept, we demonstrate experimentally the enormous enhancement of the vibrational signals from less than one attomol of molecules on individual gold nanowires, tailored to act as plasmonic nanoantennas in the infrared. By detuning the resonance via a change in the antenna length, a Fano-type behavior of the spectral signal is observed, which is clearly supported by full electrodynamical calculations. This resonant mechanism can be a new paradigm for sensitive infrared identification of molecular groups.

Characterization of fiber-laser-based sub-Doppler NICE-OHMS for quantitative trace gas detection

The potential of fiber-laser-based sub-Doppler noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical heterodyne molecular spectrometry for trace gas detection is scrutinized. The non-linear dependence of the on-resonance sub-Doppler dispersion signal on the intracavity pressure and power is investigated and the optimum conditions with respect to these are determined. The linearity of the signal strength with concentration is demonstrated and the dynamic range of the technique is discussed. Measurements were performed on C(2)H(2) at 1531 nm up to degrees of saturation of 100. The minimum detectable sub-Doppler optical phase shift was 5 x 10(-11) cm(-1) Hz(-1/2), corresponding to a partial pressure of C(2)H(2) of 1 x 10(-12) atm for an intracavity pressure of 20 mTorr, and a concentration of 10 ppb at 400 mTorr.

Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy: an efficient technique to quantitatively determine the orientation and conformation of proteins in single silk fibers

Polarized attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared spectroscopy is an efficient technique to determine the orientation and conformation of a large variety of samples, but it is more difficult to apply to very small specimens such as silk fibers. The Golden Gate single-reflection ATR accessory that uses diamond as an ATR element and a focalized beam turns out to be highly efficient to study quantitatively the orientation and conformation of a single silk fibroin filament of the silkworm Bombyx mori that is about 10 mum in diameter. For orientation measurements, rotating the sample instead of the electric field greatly simplifies the theoretical analysis and keeps the penetration depth of the infrared radiation constant. A sample holder that can be fitted on the ATR accessory has thus been developed to allow accurate rotation of the sample and to obtain spectra with a low, non-damaging, and reproducible pressure on the fiber. To validate the method, spectra have been recorded as a function of the angle theta between the fiber axis and the polarization of the incident radiation. The data have been fitted following the cosine square dependency of the absorbance with respect to the angle theta. The procedure has been applied to the spectral components of the amide I bands, as determined from spectral decomposition. Multiple angle measurements turn out to be quite useful to correct systematic angle errors and validate the accuracy of the curve-fitting parameters of the band decomposition. By using the calculated dichroic ratio, a parameter <P2> of -0.46+/-0.01 has been calculated for the antiparallel beta-sheets and -0.04+/-0.02 for the remaining structures. From the orientation-insensitive spectrum A0, the amount of beta-sheets has been estimated to 49+/-3%. The results obtained from only two measurements with the electric field of the incident radiation parallel and perpendicular to the fiber axis has demonstrated that ATR spectroscopy can be used routinely in quantitative studies of the molecular orientation and conformation of macromolecules.

Femtosecond time-resolved and two-dimensional vibrational sum frequency spectroscopic instrumentation to study structural dynamics at interfaces

We present a novel setup to elucidate the dynamics of interfacial molecules specifically, using surface-selective femtosecond vibrational spectroscopy. The approach relies on a fourth-order nonlinear optical interaction at the interface. In the experiments, interfacial molecules are vibrationally excited by an intense, tunable femtosecond midinfrared (2500-3800 cm(-1)) pump pulse, resonant with the molecular vibrations. The effect of the excitation and the subsequent relaxation to the equilibrium state are probed using broadband infrared+visible sum frequency generation (SFG) light, which provides the transient vibrational spectrum of interfacial molecules specifically. This IR pump-SFG probe setup has the ability to measure both vibrational population lifetimes as well as the vibrational coupling between different chemical moieties at interfaces. Vibrational lifetimes of interfacial molecules are determined in one-dimensional pump-SFG probe experiments, in which the response is monitored as a function of the delay between the pump and probe pulses. Vibrational coupling between molecular groups is determined in two-dimensional pump-SFG probe experiments, which monitor the response as a function of pump and probe frequencies at a fixed delay time. To allow for one setup to perform these multifaceted experiments, we have implemented several instrumentation techniques described here. The detection of the spectrally resolved differential SFG signal using a combination of a charge-coupled device camera and a piezocontrolled optical scanner, computer-controlled Fabry-Perot etalons to shape and scan the IR pump pulse and the automated sample dispenser and sample trough height corrector are some of the novelties in this setup.

Quasi-near field terahertz generation and detection

We describe a simple terahertz (THz) time domain spectrometer with a bandwidth extending up to 7.5 THz. We show that by keeping the generation and detection crystals close to each other a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be achieved without using lock-in detection and dry nitrogen flushing. The observed spectra show very good agreement with the spectra calculated based on a simple model which includes phase matching and absorption in the generation and detection crystals. Using this set-up we have measured the absorption lines in D-tartaric acid from 0.5 THz up to 7 THz. We show that the high frequency region > 3 THz is the better choice to measure small changes in the water content of a hygroscopic sample compared to the low frequency region.

Terahertz spectrum analyzer based on a terahertz frequency comb

Precision frequency measurements of terahertz (THz) waves are required to establish metrology in the THz spectral region. However, frequency measurement techniques in this region are immature. We propose a THz spectrum analyzer to measure the absolute frequency and spectral shape of continuous-wave THz waves. Based on a stable frequency comb generated in a photoconductive antenna, the absolute frequency of a sub- THz test source was determined at a precision of 2.8 x 10(-11). Furthermore, the spectral bandwidth of the THz spectrum analyzer can be extended over 1 THz, as demonstrated by measurement of a THz test source. This spectrum analyzer has the potential to become a powerful tool for THz frequency metrology.

Gold nanoparticle tips for optical field confinement in infrared scattering near-field optical microscopy

We report on the implementation of metal nanoparticles as probes for scattering and apertureless near-field optical investigations in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral regime. At these wavelengths, an efficient electric-field confinement is necessary and achieved here through a gold metal nanoparticle of 80 nm in diameter (Au80-MNP) acting as the optical antenna. The Au80-MNP is attached to a standard AFM cantilever used as the spatial manipulator. When approached to a sample surface while being illuminated with an infrared beam, the Au80-MNP produces a considerably improved spatial confinement of the electric field compared to an ordinary scattering AFM tip. We demonstrate here the confinement normal to the sample surface by making use of a sample-induced phonon polariton resonance in a ferroelectric lithium niobate sample. Our experimental findings are in very good agreement with the quasistatic dipole model and show improved optical resolution via well-selected antenna particles.

On-line near-infrared spectrometer to monitor urea removal in real time during hemodialysis

The ex vivo removal of urea during hemodialysis treatments is monitored in real time with a noninvasive near-infrared spectrometer. The spectrometer uses a temperature-controlled acousto optical tunable filter (AOFT) in conjunction with a thermoelectrically cooled extended wavelength InGaAs detector to provide spectra with a 20 cm(-1) resolution over the combination region (4000-5000 cm(-1)) of the near-infrared spectrum. Spectra are signal averaged over 15 seconds to provide root mean square noise levels of 24 micro-absorbance units for 100% lines generated over the 4600-4500 cm(-1) spectral range. Combination spectra of the spent dialysate stream are collected in real-time as a portion of this stream passes through a sample holder constructed from a 1.1 mm inner diameter tube of Teflon. Real-time spectra are collected during 17 individual dialysis sessions over a period of 10 days. Reference samples were extracted periodically during each session to generate 87 unique samples with corresponding reference concentrations for urea, glucose, lactate, and creatinine. A series of calibration models are generated for urea by using the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm and each model is optimized in terms of number of factors and spectral range. The best calibration model gives a standard error of prediction (SEP) of 0.30 mM based on a random splitting of spectra generated from all 87 reference samples collected across the 17 dialysis sessions. PLS models were also developed by using spectra collected in early sessions to predict urea concentrations from spectra collected in subsequent sessions. SEP values for these prospective models range from 0.37 mM to 0.52 mM. Although higher than when spectra are pooled from all 17 sessions, these prospective SEP values are acceptable for monitoring the hemodialysis process. Selectivity for urea is demonstrated and the selectivity properties of the PLS calibration models are characterized with a pure component selectivity analysis.