In Situ Visualization of Block Copolymer Self-Assembly in Organic Media by Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Convective self-assembly of colloidal spheres provides a simple method for fabricating two and three dimensional colloidal crystals. In this work, we investigated the layer transitions phenomena during colloidal self-assembly in a sessile drop by using an in-situ videoscopic set-up. The effects of surface charge, colloidal concentration, and surfactant additions were examined. The results show that the chemical environment plays an important role in colloidal self-assembly. In the case of ordered growth, different layer transition phenomena were observed when the colloidal concentration is different.

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Feature-rich covalent stains for super-resolution and cleared tissue fluorescence microscopy

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.aba4542 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (22) ◽

pp. eaba4542 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chenyi Mao ◽

Min Yen Lee ◽

Jing-Ru Jhan ◽

Aaron R. Halpern ◽

Marcus A. Woodworth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fluorescence Microscopy ◽

Fluorescent Dyes ◽

Super Resolution ◽

Fluorescent Labeling ◽

Processing Conditions ◽

Sample Processing ◽

Tissue Fluorescence ◽

Uniform Labeling ◽

Tissue Microscopy

Fluorescence microscopy is a workhorse tool in biomedical imaging but often poses substantial challenges to practitioners in achieving bright or uniform labeling. In addition, while antibodies are effective specific labels, their reproducibility is often inconsistent, and they are difficult to use when staining thick specimens. We report the use of conventional, commercially available fluorescent dyes for rapid and intense covalent labeling of proteins and carbohydrates in super-resolution (expansion) microscopy and cleared tissue microscopy. This approach, which we refer to as Fluorescent Labeling of Abundant Reactive Entities (FLARE), produces simple and robust stains that are modern equivalents of classic small-molecule histology stains. It efficiently reveals a wealth of key landmarks in cells and tissues under different fixation or sample processing conditions and is compatible with immunolabeling of proteins and in situ hybridization labeling of nucleic acids.

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In situ visualization of coal particle distribution in a liquid fluidized bed using fluorescence microscopy

Powder Technology ◽

10.1016/0032-5910(93)02783-7 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 239-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Eric Neil Kaufman ◽

Timothy C. Scott

Keyword(s):

Fluorescence Microscopy ◽

Fluidized Bed ◽

Coal Particle ◽

Particle Distribution ◽

In Situ Visualization

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In-situ visualization and order quantification of symmetric diblock copolymer directed self-assembly

Thin Solid Films ◽

10.1016/j.tsf.2013.01.003 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 543 ◽

pp. 148-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M. Salaün ◽

M. Le Gallic ◽

E. Picard ◽

M. Zelsmann

Keyword(s):

Diblock Copolymer ◽

Self Assembly ◽

In Situ Visualization

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In-Situ Visualization of Evaporation Induced Self-Assembly Phenomena of Nanofluids Detecting the Interfacial Surface Plasmon Reflectance

Volume 1: Symposia ◽

10.1115/ajkfluids2015-20804 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Iltai (Isaac) Kim ◽

Kenneth David Kihm

Keyword(s):

Refractive Index ◽

Real Time ◽

Surface Plasmon ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Effective Refractive Index ◽

In Situ Visualization ◽

Evaporation Induced Self Assembly ◽

Self Assembled ◽

Mapping Techniques

Innovative optical techniques based on nano-biophotonics such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging and R-G-B natural fringe mapping techniques are developed to characterize the transport and optical properties of nanofluids in situ, real-time, and full field manner. Recent results regarding the characterization of nanofluids are summarized and future research directions are presented. 47 nm Al2O3 nanoparticles are dispersed in water with various concentrations. Al2O3 nanofluids droplets are placed on substrates and evaporated in room temperature. In-situ visualization of evaporation-induced self-assembly is conducted to detect concentration, effective refractive index, and different self-assembled pattern including cavity with various nanofluids concentrations and surface hydrophobbicities with SPR and fringe mapping. During the evaporation, time-dependent and near-field nanoparticle concentrations are determined by correlating the SPR reflectance intensities with the effective refractive index (ERI) of the nanofluids. With increasing the concentrations of nanofluids, the existence of hidden complex cavities inside a self-assembled nanocrystalline structure or final dryout pattern is discovered in real-time. R-G-B natural fringe mapping allowed the reconstruction of the 3D cavity formation and crystallization processes quantitatively. The formation of the complex inner structure was found to be attributable to multiple cavity inceptions and their competing growth during the aquatic evaporation. Furthermore, the effect of surface hydrophobicity is examined in the formation of hidden complex cavities, taking place on three different substrates bearing different levels of hydrophobicity; namely, cover glass (CG), gold thin film (Au), and polystyrene dish (PS). These surface plamson resonance imaging and natural fringe mapping techniques are expected to provide a breakthrough in micro-nanoscale thermal fluids phenomena and nano-biochemical sensing when coupled with localized surface Plasmon and metamaterials techniques.

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