Periodic Reporting for period 4 - AQUARAMAN (Pipet Based Scanning Probe Microscopy Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy: A Novel Approach for TERS in Liquids)
Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-12-31
Techniques based on the scanning probe microscopy (SPM) platform are playing a key role in the study of surfaces and interfacial phenomena at the nanoscale for more than 30 years. They are considered fundamental towards the exploration and understanding of fields of science and technology so diverse as chemical reactivity and catalysis, electrochemistry and energy storage or cell biology and membrane trafficking.
Major efforts have been invested to integrate analytical tools into these SPM techniques, aiming at expanding their capabilities, beyond the topographic information. Towards this goal, powerful nanospectroscopic techniques that combine SPM, vibrational spectroscopy and nanomaterials, namely for example Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), are at the forefront of this trend owing to the rich set of structural and chemical information they provide.
However, it is essential that SPM techniques are able to operate under the experimental conditions that best represents the truly functional environment of the sample, namely live-cells in physiological conditions, chemical and electrochemical measurements in-situ in-operando, etc. This implies, in many cases, the unavoidable presence of liquids. Unfortunately, the current SPM nanospectroscopy techniques struggle to operate reliably in liquid environments, and call for complete new approaches to overcome the current problems that hinder the broad applicability and the full exploitation of their potential.
We have explored the capacity of pipette-based SPM modes, namely scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), as a multifunctional imaging technique for the study of surfaces, including live-cells. The uniqueness and versatility of pipette-based probes allowed new methodologies for creating plasmonic probes for nano and microscale enhanced spectroscopy, paving the way to a new series of SPM imaging capabilities and experiments.
Major efforts have been invested to integrate analytical tools into these SPM techniques, aiming at expanding their capabilities, beyond the topographic information. Towards this goal, powerful nanospectroscopic techniques that combine SPM, vibrational spectroscopy and nanomaterials, namely for example Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), are at the forefront of this trend owing to the rich set of structural and chemical information they provide.
However, it is essential that SPM techniques are able to operate under the experimental conditions that best represents the truly functional environment of the sample, namely live-cells in physiological conditions, chemical and electrochemical measurements in-situ in-operando, etc. This implies, in many cases, the unavoidable presence of liquids. Unfortunately, the current SPM nanospectroscopy techniques struggle to operate reliably in liquid environments, and call for complete new approaches to overcome the current problems that hinder the broad applicability and the full exploitation of their potential.
We have explored the capacity of pipette-based SPM modes, namely scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), as a multifunctional imaging technique for the study of surfaces, including live-cells. The uniqueness and versatility of pipette-based probes allowed new methodologies for creating plasmonic probes for nano and microscale enhanced spectroscopy, paving the way to a new series of SPM imaging capabilities and experiments.
A set of unique nanospectroscopy imaging platforms have been constructed in this project, seamlessly coupling nanometric positioning, spectrometers, lasers and optics. Their design has continuously evolved to favor performance, adaptability to the samples and to facilitate future modifications. Our custom-made SPM platforms, highly versatile, are now the core of our newly created research group, a multidisciplinary team that, together with our network of scientific collaborators, aims a broad range of disciplines, from plasmonics and energy materials to cell biology.
In SPM the probe plays a key role, and for pipette-based SPM imaging techniques, it is a great opportunity to explore a plethora of nanomaterials to expand the applications and capabilities of SPM imaging. Plasmonics nanomaterials or electrochemical sensors are some examples of modified probes developed throughout the project and that have been assess in challenging samples such as live-cells.
Our project highlights for its innovative component, which defined our dissemination and exploitation strategy. A successful ERC Proof-of-Concept grant is proof of our impact and innovation value that we will exploit in the near future.
In SPM the probe plays a key role, and for pipette-based SPM imaging techniques, it is a great opportunity to explore a plethora of nanomaterials to expand the applications and capabilities of SPM imaging. Plasmonics nanomaterials or electrochemical sensors are some examples of modified probes developed throughout the project and that have been assess in challenging samples such as live-cells.
Our project highlights for its innovative component, which defined our dissemination and exploitation strategy. A successful ERC Proof-of-Concept grant is proof of our impact and innovation value that we will exploit in the near future.
We contribute to the expansion of the scientific toolbox with a new set of SPM platforms and probes. For the TERS community in particular, we pave the way to a new approach where the probe is not anymore limited to the metallic STM wires and coated AFM probes but a customized probe that can be adapted to the sample, experimental conditions or to the scientific question.
Our multimicroscopy approaches will play a key role in revealing structure-function correlations of surfaces and to help understanding the complexity of interfacial phenomena, fundamental for the rational design of materials and for scientific and technological advances.
Our multimicroscopy approaches will play a key role in revealing structure-function correlations of surfaces and to help understanding the complexity of interfacial phenomena, fundamental for the rational design of materials and for scientific and technological advances.