On optical depth profiling using confocal Raman spectroscopy

Use of confocal Raman microscopy to characterise ethyl cyanoacrylate adhesive depth curing

In situ spatial temporal measurement of monomer conversion during adhesive bondline curing remains a challenging area. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the effectiveness of using confocal Raman microscopy in a specially configured experimental set-up, as a versatile tool for measuring monomer concentration changes as a function of both time and adhesive bond depth during ethyl cyanoacrylate polymerisation. This also allowed monitoring of the extent of polymerisation at the adhesive substrate interface independently of the bulk bondline polymerisation region. Key kinetic parameters such as inhibition time t_lag, rate of reaction R_max and extent of reaction [α_t]_max were obtained by fitting the experimental data to sigmoidal growth curves using simple piecewise regression models. A systematic characterisation of a polymerisation reaction was conducted using different sample substrate types (copper alloy (red brass), aluminium, aluminium alloy, stainless steel and borosilicate glass) and at various reaction temperatures. Reaction rates were found to decrease further away from the substrate interface in the bulk volume region. The fastest kinetics occurred in the vicinity of nucleophilic hydroxyl rich surfaces such as at the copper alloy (red brass). In addition to substrate surface chemistry, surface roughness was also a factor, with the highest reaction rates occurring with a grit blasted (roughened) aluminium alloy (2024 T3) surface. An approximately linear dependence of the ln R_maxvs. 1/T (Arrhenius) plot was recorded within the temperature range of 291-328 K. A better fit was obtained however through the use of two separate linear slopes, possibly indicative of a change of polymerisation reaction mechanism taking place at elevated temperatures with two distinct activation energies. Further work conducted using a larger number of temperatures would be useful to verify this finding. This work confirmed that differences in the rates of interfacial and bulk polymerisation processes could be readily measured in situ using confocal Raman microscopy which is a powerful technique for investigating such surface-confined and bulk polymerisation reactions.

Transparent soil microcosms for live-cell imaging and non-destructive stable isotope probing of soil microorganisms

Microscale processes are critically important to soil ecology and biogeochemistry yet are difficult to study due to soil's opacity and complexity. To advance the study of soil processes, we constructed transparent soil microcosms that enable the visualization of microbes via fluorescence microscopy and the non-destructive measurement of microbial activity and carbon uptake in situ via Raman microspectroscopy. We assessed the polymer Nafion and the crystal cryolite as optically transparent soil substrates. We demonstrated that both substrates enable the growth, maintenance, and visualization of microbial cells in three dimensions over time, and are compatible with stable isotope probing using Raman. We applied this system to ascertain that after a dry-down/rewetting cycle, bacteria on and near dead fungal hyphae were more metabolically active than those far from hyphae. These data underscore the impact fungi have facilitating bacterial survival in fluctuating conditions and how these microcosms can yield insights into microscale microbial activities.

Hygroscopic Micro/Nanolenses along Carbon Nanotube Ion Channels

Nanolenses of alkali metal halides can be a unique optical element due to their hygroscopicity, optical transparency, and high mobility of constituent ions. It has been challenging, however, to form and place such lenses in a controlled manner. Here, we report micro/nanolenses of various alkali metal halides arranged as a one-dimensional (1D) array, using the exterior of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as a template for forming the lenses. Applying an electrical bias to an aqueous solution of alkali metal halides placed at the end of an SWNT array causes ionic transport along the exterior of SWNTs and the subsequent formation of salt micro/nanocrystals. The crystals serve as micro/nanolenses that optically visualize individual SWNTs and amplify their Raman scattering by orders of magnitude. Molecules dissolved in the ionic solution can be electrokinetically transported along the nanotubes, captured within the lenses, and analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, which we demonstrate by detecting ∼12 attomoles of glucose and 2 femtomoles of urea. The hygroscopic salt nanolenses are robust under various ambient conditions indefinitely, by transitioning to liquid droplets above their deliquescence relative humidity, yet can be removed nondestructively by water. Our approach could have broad implications in the optical visualization of 1D nanostructures, molecular transport or chemical reactions in 1D space, and molecular spectroscopy in salty environments.