Polarization Measurements in Macro- and Micro-Raman Spectroscopies: Molecular Orientations in Thin Films and Azo-Dye Containing Polymer Systems

Confocal Raman microscope with versatile dual polarization snapshot acquisition

In this paper we propose a new strategy towards simultaneous co- and cross-polarized measurements of Raman spectra in a confocal microscope. One of the advantages of this strategy is that it is immune to polarization-dependent efficiency of diffraction gratings. It is shown via linear angle-resolved and circular polarization measurements that the accuracy of these snapshot polarization measurements on solid and liquid samples are in good agreement with available models and data. The interest of simultaneous acquisition of the total Raman response and the degree of polarization is discussed as well.

Synthesis of Acyl Hydrazides via a Radical Chemistry of Azocarboxylic tert-Butyl Esters

A new chemistry of azo compounds, that is, addition of free radicals generated in situ to access various acyl hydrazides, has been developed. The protocol provides a novel strategy for the synthesis of valuable acyl hydrazides. The transformation features mild reaction conditions, good tolerance of functional groups, and a broad substrate scope. In view of the importance of acyl hydrazides in functional materials and medicinal chemistry, this approach would find broad applications.

Chemical Characteristics of Wood Cell Wall with an Emphasis on Ultrastructure: A Mini-Review

Wood is complex in its chemical composition that has an important influence on its chemical behavior and mechanical strength. The complexity is reflected in the ultrastructure of the wood cell wall. In particular, the concentration of main components (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin) changes depending on many factors such as the different type or parts of wood, and varies in different cell wall layers. From an ultrastructural standpoint, we describe the current level of knowledge about chemical characteristics of the wood cell walls. The information of distribution of main components in the cell walls of normal wood, reaction wood and water-logged archaeological wood, the cellulose microfibrils orientation, and the interactions between main components were presented based on the use of advanced techniques including transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, spectral imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance. In addition, the chemical changes of the wood cell wall during pretreatment are discussed. This mini-review not only provides a better understanding of wood chemistry, but also brings new insights into cell wall recalcitrance.

Optical Polarization-Based Measurement Methods for Characterization of Self-Assembled Peptides' and Amino Acids' Micro- and Nanostructures

In recent years, self-assembled peptides’ and amino acids’ (SAPA) micro- and nanostructures have gained much research interest. Here, description of how SAPA architectures can be characterized using polarization-based optical measurement methods is provided. The measurement methods discussed include: polarized Raman spectroscopy, polarized imaging microscopy, birefringence imaging, and fluorescence polarization. An example of linear polarized waveguiding in an amino acid Histidine microstructure is discussed. The implementation of a polarization-based measurement method for monitoring peptide self-assembly processes and for deriving molecular orientation of peptides is also described.

Assessing the Molecular Specificity and Orientation Sensitivity of Infrared, Raman, and Vibrational Sum-Frequency Spectra

Linear programming was used to assess the ability of polarized infrared absorption, Raman scattering, and visible–infrared sum-frequency generation to correctly identify the composition of a mixture of molecules adsorbed onto a surface in four scenarios. The first two scenarios consisted of a distribution of species where the polarity of the orientation distribution is known, both with and without consideration of an arbitrary scaling factor between candidate spectra and the observed spectra of the mixture. The final two scenarios have repeated the tests, but assuming that the polarity of the orientation is unknown, so the symmetry-breaking attributes of the second-order nonlinear technique are required. The results indicate that polarized Raman spectra are more sensitive to orientation and molecular identity than the other techniques. However, further analysis reveals that this sensitivity is not due to the high-order angle dependence of Raman, but is instead attributed to the number of unique projections that can be measured in a polarized Raman experiment.

Noncovalent interactions in the design of bis-azo dyes

A perfluorinated aromatic link was used as a synthon in the design of bis-azo dyes.

Synthesis of Hydrazines via Radical Generation and Addition of Azocarboxylic tert-Butyl Esters

A new chemistry of azo compounds that is a radical generation and addition in situ of azocarboxylic tert-butyl esters to synthesize hydrazines has been described. The protocol provides a novel strategy for the synthesis of various hydrazines. The advantages of the transformation include broad substrate scope, benign conditions, and convenient operation.

Near-field Raman dichroism of azo-polymers exposed to nanoscale dc electrical and optical poling

Azobenzene-functionalized polymer films are functional materials, where the (planar vs. homeotropic) orientation of azo-dyes can be used for storing data. In order to characterize the nanoscale 3D orientation of the pigments in sub-10 nm thick polymer films we use two complementary techniques: polarization-controlled tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) microscopy and contact scanning capacity microscopy. We demonstrate that the homeotropic and planar orientations of the azo-dyes are produced by applying a local dc electrical field and a resonant longitudinal optical near-field, respectively. For a non-destructive probe of the azo-dye orientation we apply a non-resonant optical near-field and compare the intensities of the Raman-active vibrational modes. We show that near-field Raman dichroism, a characteristic similar to the absorption dichroism used in far-field optics, can be a quantitative indicator of the 3D molecular orientation of the azo-dye at the nanoscale. This study directly benefits the further development of photochromic near-field optical memory that can lead to ultrahigh density information storage.

Polarized Raman Spectroscopy for Determining the Orientation of di-D-phenylalanine Molecules in a Nanotube

Self-assembly of short peptides into nanostructures has become an important strategy for the bottom-up fabrication of nanomaterials. Significant interest to such peptide-based building blocks is due to the opportunity to control the structure and properties of well-structured nanotubes, nanofibrils, and hydrogels. X-ray crystallography and solution NMR, two major tools of structural biology, have significant limitations when applied to peptide nanotubes because of their non-crystalline structure and large weight. Polarized Raman spectroscopy was utilized for structural characterization of well-aligned D-Diphenylalanine nanotubes. The orientation of selected chemical groups relative to the main axis of the nanotube was determined. Specifically, the C-N bond of CNH₃⁺groups is oriented parallel to the nanotube axis, the peptides' carbonyl groups are tilted at approximately 54° from the axis and the COO^- groups run perpendicular to the axis. The determined orientation of chemical groups allowed the understanding of the orientation of D-diphenylalanine molecule that is consistent with its equilibrium conformation. The obtained data indicate that there is only one orientation of D-diphenylalanine molecules with respect to the nanotube main axis.

Exploring the structure and formation mechanism of amyloid fibrils by Raman spectroscopy: a review

Amyloid fibrils are β-sheet rich protein aggregates that are strongly associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. Raman spectroscopy has been broadly utilized to investigate protein aggregation and amyloid fibril formation and has been shown to be capable of revealing changes in secondary and tertiary structures at all stages of fibrillation. When coupled with atomic force (AFM) and scanning electron (SEM) microscopies, Raman spectroscopy becomes a powerful spectroscopic approach that can investigate the structural organization of amyloid fibril polymorphs. In this review, we discuss the applications of Raman spectroscopy, a unique, label-free and non-destructive technique for the structural characterization of amyloidogenic proteins, prefibrilar oligomers, and mature fibrils.

Quantitative analysis of polarization-controlled tip-enhanced Raman imaging through the evaluation of the tip dipole

Polarization analysis in tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is of tremendous advantage, as it allows one to study highly directional intrinsic properties of a sample at the nanoscale. However, neither evaluation nor control of the polarization properties of near-field light in TERS is as straightforward as in usual far-field illumination, because of the random metallic nanostructure attached to the tip apex. In this study, we have developed a method to successfully analyze the polarization of near-field light in TERS from the scattering pattern produced by the induced dipole in the metallic tip. Under dipole approximation, we measured the image of the dipole at a plane away from the focal plane, where the information about the direction of the dipole oscillation was intact. The direction of the dipole oscillation was determined from the defocused pattern, and then the polarization of near-field light was evaluated from the oscillation direction by calculating the intensity distribution of near-field light through Green's function. After evaluating the polarization of some fabricated tips, we used those tips to measure TERS images from single-walled carbon nanotubes and confirmed that the contrast of the TERS image depended on the oscillation direction of the dipole, which were also found in excellent agreement with the calculated TERS images, verifying that the polarization of the near-field was quantitatively estimated by our technique. Our technique would lead to better quantitative analysis in TERS imaging with consideration of polarization impact, giving a better understanding of the behavior of nanomaterials.

Polarized Raman Spectroscopy of Aligned Insulin Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. The application of conventional techniques of structural biology, X-ray crystallography and solution NMR, for fibril characterization is limited because of the non-crystalline and insoluble nature of the fibrils. Here, polarized Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the orientation of selected chemical groups in aligned insulin fibrils, specifically of peptide carbonyls. The methodology is solely based on the measurement of the change in Raman scattered intensity as a function of the angle between the incident laser polarization and the aligned fibrils. The order parameters 〈 P2 〉 and 〈 P4 〉 of the orientation distribution function were obtained, and the most probable distribution of C=O group orientation was calculated. The results indicate that the peptides' carbonyl groups are oriented at an angle of 13±5° from the fibril axis, which is in consistent with previously reported qualitative descriptions of an almost parallel orientation of the C=O groups relative to the main fibril axis.

Chiral anion phase transfer of aryldiazonium cations: an enantioselective synthesis of C3-diazenated pyrroloindolines

Herein is reported the first asymmetric utilization of aryldiazonium cations as a source of electrophilic nitrogen. This is achieved through a chiral anion phase-transfer pyrroloindolinization reaction that forms C3-diazenated pyrroloindolines from simple tryptamines and aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates. The title compounds are obtained in up to 99% yield and 96% ee. The air- and water-tolerant reaction allows electronic and steric diversity of the aryldiazonium electrophile and the tryptamine core.

Polarized 3D Raman and nanoscale near-field optical microscopy of optically inscribed surface relief gratings: chromophore orientation in azo-doped polymer films

We have used polarized confocal Raman microspectroscopy and scanning near-field optical microscopy with a resolution of 60 nm to characterize photoinscribed grating structures of azobenzene doped polymer films on a glass support. Polarized Raman microscopy allowed determining the reorientation of the chromophores as a function of the grating phase and penetration depth of the inscribing laser in three dimensions. We found periodic patterns, which are not restricted to the surface alone, but appear also well below the surface in the bulk of the material. Near-field optical microscopy with nanoscale resolution revealed lateral two-dimensional optical contrast, which is not observable by atomic force and Raman microscopy.

Polarization-Controlled Raman Microscopy and Nanoscopy

Polarization imaging reveals unique characteristics of samples, such as molecular symmetry, orientation, or intermolecular interactions. Polarization techniques extend the ability of conventional spectroscopy to enable the characterization and identification of molecular species. In the early days of spectroscopy, it was considered that a set of polarizers placed in the illumination and the detection paths was enough to enable polarization analysis. However, with the development of new microscope imaging techniques, such as high-resolution microscopy, nonlinear spectroscopic imaging, and near-field microscopy, the inevitable polarization changes caused by external optical components needs to be discussed. In this Perspective, we present some of the hot topics that are specific to high-spatial-resolution microscopy and introduce recent related work in the field. Among the many spectroscopic techniques available, we focus in particular on Raman spectroscopy because Raman tensors are widely used in pure and applied sciences to study the symmetry of matter.

Observations of multiscale, stress-induced changes of collagen orientation in tendon by polarized Raman spectroscopy

Collagen is a versatile structural molecule in nature and is used as a building block in many highly organized tissues, such as bone, skin, and cornea. The functionality and performance of these tissues are controlled by their hierarchical organization ranging from the molecular up to macroscopic length scales. In the present study, polarized Raman microspectroscopic and imaging analyses were used to elucidate collagen fibril orientation at various levels of structure in native rat tail tendon under mechanical load. In situ humidity-controlled uniaxial tensile tests have been performed concurrently with Raman confocal microscopy to evaluate strain-induced chemical and structural changes of collagen in tendon. The methodology is based on the sensitivity of specific Raman scattering bands (associated with distinct molecular vibrations, such as the amide I) to the orientation and the polarization direction of the incident laser light. Our results, based on the changing intensity of Raman lines as a function of orientation and polarization, support a model where the crimp and gap regions of collagen hierarchical structure are straightened at the tissue and molecular level, respectively. However, the lack of measurable changes in Raman peak positions throughout the whole range of strains investigated indicates that no significant changes of the collagen backbone occurs with tensing and suggests that deformation is rather redistributed through other levels of the hierarchical structure.

Theory of infrared microspectroscopy for intact fibers

Infrared microspectroscopy is widely used for the chemical analysis of small samples. In particular, spectral properties of small cylindrical samples are important in forensic analysis, understanding relationships between microstructure and mechanical properties in fibers or fiber composites, and development of cosmetics and drugs for hair. The diameters of the constituent cylinders are typically of the order of the central wavelength of light used to probe the sample. Hence, structure and material spectral response are coupled and recorded spectra are usually distorted to the extent of becoming useless for molecular identification. In this paper, we apply rigorous optical theory to predict the spectral distortions observed in IR microspectroscopic data of fibers. The theory is used, first, to compute the changes that are observed for cylinders of various dimensions under different instrument configurations when compared to the bulk spectrum from the same material. We provide a method to recover intrinsic material spectral response from fibers by correcting for distortion introduced by the cylindrical structure. The theory reported here should enable the routine use of IR microspectroscopy and imaging for the molecular analysis of cylindrical domains in complex materials.

Nondestructive Raman and atomic force microscopy measurement of molecular structure for individual diphenylalanine nanotubes

Polarized Raman microspectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to measure molecular orientation in individual diphenylalanine nanotubes (diameters ranging from 100 nm to 1000 nm). Analysis of the amide I Raman bands (1686 cm(-1)) indicated that the C=O side chains have a parallel alignment with the nanotube axis. The amide III Raman band (1249 cm(-1)) associated with the peptide backbone C-N vibrations showed that these bonds are preferentially aligned perpendicular to the nanotube axis. However, the Raman band corresponding to the symmetric breathing mode of the aromatic rings (1002 cm(-1)) indicated a rather random orientation. These results support the theoretical molecular structure models proposed recently.

Preparation of dye waste-barium sulfate hybrid adsorbent and application in organic wastewater treatment

A new hybrid material was developed by the template-free hybridization of weak acidic pink red B (APRB, C.I. 18073) with BaSO(4). The composition and structure of the material were determined and characterized. In contrast to conventional sorbents, the hybrid material has a specific surface area of 0.89 m(2)/g, but it contains lots of negative charges and lipophilic groups as the basis of specific adsorption. The efficient removal of cationic dyes and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) indicates that it has an improved adsorption capacity and selectivity with a short removal time less than 2 min; while the hybrid sorbents fit the Langmuir isotherm model, and follow the octanol-water partition law. Instead of using APRB reagent, an APRB-producing wastewater was reused to prepare the cost-effective sorbent, and the equilibrium adsorption capacities of which reached 222 and 160 mg/g for EV and BPR, respectively. The sorbents was then used to treat three wastewater samples with satisfactory results of over 97% decolonization and 88% COD-decreasing. In addition, the hybrid sorbent was regenerated from sludge over five cycles, and its adsorption capacity was not appreciably changed. This work has developed a simple and eco-friendly method for synthesizing a practical and efficient sorbent.

Turning calcium carbonate into a cost-effective wastewater-sorbing material by occluding waste dye

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE

Over the years, organic pollution in the environment has aroused people's concern worldwide, especially persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Particularly in developing countries, plenty of concentrated organic wastewaters treated noneffectively are discharged into aquatic environments from chemical, textile, paper-making, and other industries to seriously threaten the surface and drinking water. The conventional wastewater treatment techniques are often helpless due to high cost with multilevel processing. Adsorption as an efficient method is often applied to the treatment of wastewater. The aim of this work is to develop an eco-friendly and cost-effective wastewater-sorbing material with weak acidic pink red B (APRB) and calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) by reusing highly concentrated dye wastewater.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

On the basis of the chemical coprecipitation of APRB with growing CaCO(3) particles, an inclusion material was prepared. The composition of material was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-energy dispersive X-ray, and its morphology characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, TEM, and particle-size analysis. Two cationic dyes, ethyl violet (EV) and methylene blue (MB), and four POPs, phenanthrene (Phe), fluorene (Flu), biphenyl (Bip), and biphenol A (Bpa), were used to investigate the adsorption selectivity, capacity, and mechanism of the new material, where spectrophotometry, fluorophotometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography were used for determination. An APRB-producing wastewater was reused for preparing the cost-effective wastewater-sorbing material instead of the APRB reagent and then treating cationic dye wastewaters. The remove rates of colority and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were evaluated.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The CO(3) (2-)-APRB-Ca(2+) addition sequence is most favorable for the occlusion of APRB into the growing CaCO(3) particles, and the occlusion of APRB corresponded to the Langmuir isothermal adsorption with the binding constant (K) of 5.24 x 10(4) M(-1) and the Gibbs free energy change (Delta G) of -26.9 kJ/mol. The molar ratio of Ca(2+) to CO(3) (2-) and APRB was calculated to be 1:0.94:0.0102, i.e., approximately 92 CaCO(3) molecules occluded only one APRB. Approximately 78% of the inclusion aggregates are between 3 and 20 mm and the particles are global-like with 50-100 nm. The element mapping on Ca, S, and C indicated APRB distributed a lot of CaCO(3), i.e., the APRB layer may be pressed between both sides of CaCO(3) layers. The molar ratio of Ca to S was calculated to 44, i.e., 88 CaCO(3) molecules carried one APRB, according to the above data. During the growing of CaCO(3) particles, APRB may be attracted into the temporary electric double layer in micelle form by the strong charge interaction between sulfonic groups of APRB and Ca(2+) and the hydrophobic stack of long alkyl chains. Four dyes were adsorbed: reactive brilliant red X-3B and weak acid green GS as anionic dyes and EV and MB as cationic dyes. The removals of EV and MB are extremely obvious and the saturation adsorption of EV and MB just neutralized all the negative charges in the inclusion particles. The selectivity demonstrated the ion-pair attraction, i.e., the cationic adsorption capacity depends on the negative charge number of the inclusion material. By fitting the Langmuir isotherm model, the monolayer adsorptions of EV and MB were confirmed. Their K values were calculated to be 2.4 x 10(6) and 7.3 x 10(5) M(-1), and Delta G was calculated to be 36.4 and -33.4 kJ/mol. The adsorption of four POPs on the material obeyed the lipid-water partition law, and their partition coefficients (K (pw)) were calculated to be 9,342 L/kg for Phe, 7,301 L/kg for Flu, 1,226 L/kg for Bip, and 870 L/kg for Bpa. The K (pw) is the direct ratio to their lipid-water partition coefficients (K (ow)) with 0.314 of slope. Besides this, a cost-effective CaCO(3)/APRB inclusion material was prepared with an APRB-producing wastewater instead of APRB reagent, and it was used in the treatment of two practical cationic dye wastewaters (samples A and B). The colority and COD in sample B are 18 and 13 times high as those of sample A. The decolorization of sample A is over 96%, and the removal of COD is between 70% and 80% when more than 0.3% adsorbent was added. However, those of sample B are over 98% and 88% in the presence of over 1% adsorbent. The adsorbent added in sample B, which was only two to three times as high as that in sample A, brought a similar removal rate of colority and COD. The inclusion material is more efficient for treatment of a highly concentrated dye wastewater because it may adsorb the most cationic dye up to saturation.

CONCLUSIONS

A cost-effective onion-like inclusion material was synthesized with the composition ratio 90 +/- 2 of CaCO(3) to APRB, and it carried a lot of negative charges and lipophilic groups. It has a high adsorption capacity and rapid saturation for cationic dye and POPs. The adsorption of cationic dyes corresponded to the Langmuir isothermal model and that of POPs to the lipid-water partition law. The adsorbent is suitable for treatment of concentrated cationic dye and POPs wastewater in neutral media. The addition quantity of the calcium carbonate-APRB adsorbent was suggested below: only 3-5 kg per ton of wastewater (<1,000 colority or <2 mg/L POPs) and 20-30 kg per ton of highly concentrated wastewater (>20,000 colority or >50 mg/L POPs).

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

The skeleton reactants are low-cost, easily available, and harmless to the ecological environment; additionally, the APRB reactant can reuse APRB-producing wastewater. The dye-contaminated sludge can potentially be reused as the color additive in building material and rubber and plastics industries. However, the APRB and dye contaminant would be released from the sludge when exposed to an acidic media (pH <4) for long time. This work has developed a simple, eco-friendly and practical method for the production of a cost-effective wastewater-sorbing material.

Pushing the limit of confocal polarized Raman microscopy

Raman microscopy has emerged as a powerful technique to characterize anisotropic materials with sub micro meter resolution. The use of polarized light allows one to obtain precise information about the local organization of the relevant molecular groups through the determination of the most probable distribution function. Such polarization analysis can be conducted under a confocal microscope, but caution must be exercised because of the use of objectives of high numerical value. The molecular orientation can be effectively correlated with the topography of the sample when atomic force microscopy experiments are conducted on the same object. In the present review paper, we present Raman imaging results that have been conducted on mesostructured polymer surfaces and on a single isolated semiconductor nanowire.Key words: Raman spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, orientation parameters, azopolymers, nanowires.

Orientation-independent spectra for biaxial systems in polarized Raman microspectrometry

From an extension of the scattering intensity expressions in polarized Raman macrospectrometry to the case of micro-Raman backscattering experiments, we have established theoretical expressions to calculate orientation-independent intensity sums. This approach makes use of the K2 Raman invariant and of correction coefficients due to integration of the Raman scattering over the cone of collection of the objective lens, and it may be applied to uniaxial as well as to biaxial symmetry systems. The intensity sums thus obtained are expected to be orientation insensitive and allow one to compare conformational changes in various biaxially oriented polymer samples, either amorphous and/or semicrystalline thin films. As application examples we have compared the polarized Raman results obtained for various biaxially oriented amorphous and semicrystalline polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene terenaphthalate) (PEN), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) thin film samples with their respective "isotropic spectrum" and have considered the different main conformational changes in related polymer systems. The method is thus tested on these macromolecular systems and appears quite successful in providing evidence for the molecular conformational changes without interferences from spectral contributions due to orientation.

Molecular Orientation Distributions in a Biaxially oriented Poly(l-lactic Acid) Film Determined by Polarized Raman Spectroscopy

Molecular orientation distributions in the crystalline and amorphous regions of a biaxially oriented poly(L-lactic acid) film were analyzed fully by polarized Raman spectroscopy. Raman bands at 926 and 875 cm(-1) were chosen for the determination of the most probable molecular orientation distribution functions for the crystalline and amorphous regions in the film. It was revealed that the PLLA molecules were oriented biaxially in both the crystalline and amorphous regions. The orientation distribution normal to the film surface was found to be broader in the amorphous regions than in the crystalline regions. Furthermore, a predominant unidirectional molecular orientation was observed in the crystalline regions, whereas the molecular orientation distribution in the amorphous regions was isotropic in the plane parallel to the film surface. The different behavior of the crystalline and amorphous regions suggests that each region underwent different deformation mechanisms during the film formation.

Orientation-insensitive spectra for Raman microspectroscopy

Separating effects due to molecular conformation from those due to orientation in the spectra of oriented samples obtained by Raman microspectroscopy is a complex issue. To solve this problem, we propose a procedure to calculate an orientation-insensitive spectrum (so-called isotropic spectrum) from polarized spectra obtained by Raman microspectroscopy that is valid for systems that exhibit a uniaxial symmetry. The method has first been tested on highly oriented samples of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Polarized and isotropic spectra of a highly oriented HDPE cylindrical rod and an isotropic HDPE sample have been compared. The differences in the relative intensities, which occur in the polarized spectra and are due to orientation of the polyethylene chains, are nearly cancelled in the isotropic spectra, showing that the orientation-insensitive spectrum adequately represents the molecular conformation without contributions of orientation. Second, spectra of silk fibroins have been compared in the amide I region for Bombyx mori cocoon silk fibers and methanol-treated regenerated fibroin films. The similarity of the shape of the amide I band of the isotropic spectra indicates that the secondary structure of the fibroins is very close in both samples. These experimental results support the conclusion that the molecular conformation can be efficiently characterized from the intensity and the shape of Raman bands in the orientation-insensitive spectrum.

Combination of Polarized TIRF and ATR Spectroscopies for Determination of the Second and Fourth Order Parameters of Molecular Orientation in Thin Films and Construction of an Orientation Distribution Based on the Maximum Entropy Method

This article describes two mathematical formalisms for the determination of the second and fourth order parameters of molecular films using optical spectroscopy. Method A uses polarized total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) to calculate the second and fourth order parameters, {P2(cos theta)} and {P4(cos theta)}, using an independently determined value for the angle between the absorption and emission dipoles, gamma. Method B uses {P2(cos theta)} obtained from attenuated total reflectance (ATR) data, along with polarized TIRF measurements to calculate {P4(cos theta)} and {cos2 gamma}. The choice of a specific method should rely on experimental considerations. We also present a method to separate the contributions of substrate surface roughness and dipole orientation with respect to the molecular axis from the spectroscopically determined second and fourth order parameters. Finally, a maximum entropy approach for construction of an orientation distribution from order parameters is compared with the commonly used delta and Gaussian distributions.

Polarization gratings in twisted-nematic liquid-crystal composites doped with azobenzene dye

Highly efficient and functionalized polarization gratings have been recorded in azobenzene-containing mesogenic composites with twisted nematic cell configurations. The polarization gratings formed in azobenzene-containing mesogenic composites show a high diffraction efficiency of more than 45% and convert the polarization state of light at the same time. The polarization direction of the diffracted laser beams can be controlled by the twisted angle of the nematic cell. These characteristics of the polarization gratings are well explained by means of Jones calculus.