Carbon nanotubes optical microscopy

The DNA-carbon nanotube interaction is a complicated and dynamic process. Many studies on this subject have been pursued through a series of techniques, including molecular dynamic simulation, microscopy, circular dichroism, and optical spectroscopy.57,58 Although the detailed mechanism is not fully understood at present, several physical factors have been proposed to be driving DNA-carbon nanotube interactions,46,59-61 such as entropy loss due to confinement of the DNA backbone, van der Waals and hydrophobic (rr-stacking) interactions, electronic interactions between DNA and carbon nanotubes, and nanotube deformation. A recent UV optical spectroscopy study of the ssDNA-SWNT system demonstrated experimentally that... 

Atomic Force Microscopy Atomic force microscopy is a direct descendant of STM and was first described in 1986 [254], The basic principle behind AFM is straightforward. An atomically sharp tip extending down from the end of a cantilever is scanned over the sample surface using a piezoelectric scanner. Built-in feedback mechanisms enable the tip to be maintained above the sample surface either at constant force (which allows height information to be obtained) or at constant height (to enable force information to be obtained). The detection system is usually optical whereby the upper surface of the cantilever is reflective, upon which a laser is focused which then reflects off into a dual-element photodiode, according to the motion of the cantilever as the tip is scanned across the sample surface. The tip is usually constructed from silicon or silicon nitride, and more recently carbon nanotubes have been used as very effective and highly sensitive tips. 

Ichimura T, Hayazawa N, Hashimoto M, Inouye Y, Kawata S (2004) Application of tip-enhanced microscopy for nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. Appl Phys Lett 84 1768 Ichimura T, Hayazawa N, Hashimoto M, Inouye Y, Kawata S (2004) Tip-enhanced coherent anti-stokes raman scattering for vibrational nanoimaging. Phys Rev Lett 92 220801 Tanaka S, Maeda Y, Cai L, Tabata H, Kawai T (2001) Application of tip-enhanced microscopy for nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. Jpn J Appl Phys 40 4217 Watanabe H, Ishida Y, Hayazawa N, Inouye Y, Kawata S (2004) Tip-enhanced near-field Raman analysis of tip-pressurized adenine molecule. Phys Rev B 69 155418 Yano T, Verma P, Saito Y, Ichimura T, Kawata S (2009) Pressure-assisted tip-enhanced Raman imaging at a resolution of a few nanometres. Nature Photon 3 473 Yano T, Inouye Y, Kawata S (2006) Nanoscale uniaxial pressure effect of a carbon nanotube bundle on tip-enhanced near-field Raman spectra. Nano Lett 6 1269 Downes A, Salter D, Elfick A (2006) Heating effects in tip-enhanced optical microscopy. Opt Exp 14 5216... 

Fig. 3.6 Polarizing optical microscopy images of the chiral nematic phase of carbon nanotubes functionalized with double stranded DNA at low (a) and high (b) concentrations, respectively. Reproduced with permission from [80], Copy right 2011 American Chemical Society...

This book describes the applications of important new NMR spectroscopic methods to a variety of useful materials and compares them with results from other techniques such as adsorption, differential scanning calorimetry, thermally stimulated depolarization cmrent, dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering. The text explores the application of NMR spectroscopy to examine interfacial phenomena in objects of increasing complexity, beginning with immodified and modified silica materials. It then describes properties of various mixed oxides with comparisons to individual oxides and also describes carbon materials such as graphite and carbon nanotubes. 

SD spinodal decomposition SEM scanning electron microscopy SNOM scanning near-field optical microscopy STED stimulated emission depletion SWNT single wall carbon nanotube TEM transmission electron microscopy... 

The past decades have seen a incredible boost of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in both scientific research and commercial sectors since lijima s discovery of CNTs [117]. CNTs have extraordinary and unique mechanical, optical and electrical properties and major research efforts were focused on areas including high performance electroiucs, scanning probe microscopy, fuel cells, composites, mechanical, chemical, biological and physical sensors, etc. [118]. However, the formation of insoluble large bundles, caused by the strong van der Waals interactions between individual hydrophobic nanotubes, limited the applications of CNTs. In order to harness the full potential of CNTs, their separation and dispersion are therefore an intense subject of scientific research. 

Single nanostructures pump probe microscopy experiments revealed energy relaxation pathways that are obscured by ensemble averaging. For example, understanding of the intrinsic optical properties of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has been previously hindered primarily by the broad distribution of semiconducting and metallic nanotube types in as-synthesized... 

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