Nanoscale Imaging of the Interface Dynamics in Polymer Blends by Femtosecond Pump-Probe Confocal Microscopy

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Polli ◽  
G. Grancini ◽  
T. Virgili ◽  
J. Clark ◽  
M. Celebrano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Polymer Blends ◽  
Interface Dynamics ◽  
Pump Probe ◽  
Nanoscale Imaging

Nanoscale Imaging of the Interface Dynamics in Polymer Blends by Femtosecond Pump-Probe Confocal Microscopy

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (28) ◽  
pp. 3048-3051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Polli ◽  
Giulia Grancini ◽  
Jenny Clark ◽  
Michele Celebrano ◽  
Tersilla Virgili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Polymer Blends ◽  
Interface Dynamics ◽  
Pump Probe ◽  
Nanoscale Imaging

Investigation of Local Dynamics on the Sub-micron Scale in Organic Blends Using an Ultrafast Confocal Microscope

2010 ◽  
Vol 1270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Grancini ◽  
Dario Polli ◽  
Jenny Clark ◽  
Tersilla Virgili ◽  
Giulio Cerullo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Excited State ◽  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Polymer Blends ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Temporal Resolution ◽  
Electronic States ◽  
Pump Probe ◽  
Peculiar Behaviour ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Probe Spectroscopy

AbstractWe introduce a novel instrument combining femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy and confocal microscopy for spatio-temporal imaging of excited-state dynamics of phase-separated polymer blends. Phenomena occurring at interfaces between different materials are crucial for optimizing the device performances, but are poorly understood due to the variety of possible electronic states and processes involved and to their complicated dynamics. Our instrument (with 200-fs temporal resolution and 300-nm spatial resolution) provides new insights into the properties of polymer blends, revealing spatially variable photo-relaxation paths and dynamics and highlighting a peculiar behaviour at the interface between the phase-separated domains.

Enhanced Nanoscale Imaging of Polymer Blends by Temperature-Controlled Selective Dissolution

Small ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Friedel ◽  
Bruno Ehrler ◽  
Sven Hüttner ◽  
Neil C. Greenham
Keyword(s):  
Polymer Blends ◽  
Selective Dissolution ◽  
Nanoscale Imaging ◽  
Temperature Controlled

Two-photon excitation microscopy in cellular biophysics

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 62-63
Author(s):  
David W. Piston ◽  
Brian D. Bennett ◽  
Robert G. Summers
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Laser Beam ◽  
Duty Cycle ◽  
Excited Electronic State ◽  
Input Power ◽  
Two Photon ◽  
Simultaneous Absorption ◽  
Photon Excitation ◽  
Very High ◽  
Two Photon Excitation

Two-photon excitation microscopy (TPEM) provides attractive advantages over confocal microscopy for three-dimensionally resolved fluorescence imaging and photochemistry. Two-photon excitation arises from the simultaneous absorption of two photons in a single quantitized event whose probability is proportional to the square of the instantaneous intensity. For example, two red photons can cause the transition to an excited electronic state normally reached by absorption in the ultraviolet. In practice, two-photon excitation is made possible by the very high local instantaneous intensity provided by a combination of diffraction-limited focusing of a single laser beam in the microscope and the temporal concentration of 100 femtosecond pulses generated by a mode-locked laser. Resultant peak excitation intensities are 106 times greater than the CW intensities used in confocal microscopy, but the pulse duty cycle of 10-5 maintains the average input power on the order of 10 mW, only slightly greater than the power normally used in confocal microscopy.

Measurement of spontaneous neuronal membrane activity by time lapse confocal microscopy

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 972-973
Author(s):  
R H. Selinfreund ◽  
A. H. Cornell-Bell
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Patch Clamp ◽  
Electrical Activity ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Neuronal Membrane ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Patch Clamp Recording ◽  
Spontaneous Electrical Activity

Cellular electrophysiological properties are normally monitored by standard patch clamp techniques . The combination of membrane potential dyes with time-lapse laser confocal microscopy provides a more direct, least destructive rapid method for monitoring changes in neuronal electrical activity. Using membrane potential dyes we found that spontaneous action potential firing can be detected using time-lapse confocal microscopy. Initially, patch clamp recording techniques were used to verify spontaneous electrical activity in GH4\C1 pituitary cells. It was found that serum depleted cells had reduced spontaneous electrical activity. Brief exposure to the serum derived growth factor, IGF-1, reconstituted electrical activity. We have examined the possibility of developing a rapid fluorescent assay to measure neuronal activity using membrane potential dyes. This neuronal regeneration assay has been adapted to run on a confocal microscope. Quantitative fluorescence is then used to measure a compounds ability to regenerate neuronal firing.The membrane potential dye di-8-ANEPPS was selected for these experiments. Di-8- ANEPPS is internalized slowly, has a high signal to noise ratio (40:1), has a linear fluorescent response to change in voltage.

Five-Dimensional Microscopy using Widefield-Deconvolution: Practical Considerations and Biological Applications

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 268-269
Author(s):  
W.F. Marshall ◽  
K. Oegema ◽  
J. Nunnari ◽  
A.F. Straight ◽  
D.A. Agard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Ccd Camera ◽  
Image Plane ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Excitation Light ◽  
Cooled Ccd

The ability to image cells in three dimensions has brought about a revolution in biological microscopy, enabling many questions to be asked which would be inaccessible without this capability. There are currently two major methods of three dimensional microscopy: laser-scanning confocal microscopy and widefield-deconvolution microscopy. The method of widefield-deconvolution uses a cooled CCD to acquire images from a standard widefield microscope, and then computationally removes out of focus blur. Using such a scheme, it is easy to acquire time-lapse 3D images of living cells without killing them, and to do so for multiple wavelengths (using computer-controlled filter wheels). Thus, it is now not only feasible, but routine, to perform five dimensional microscopy (three spatial dimensions, plus time, plus wavelength).Widefield-deconvolution has several advantages over confocal microscopy. The two main advantages are high speed of acquisition (because there is no scanning, a single optical section is acquired at a time by using a cooled CCD camera) and the use of low excitation light levels Excitation intensity can be much lower than in a confocal microscope for three reasons: 1) longer exposures can be taken since the entire 512x512 image plane is acquired in parallel, so that dwell time is not an issue, 2) the higher quantum efficiently of a CCD detect over those typically used in confocal microscopy (although this is expected to change due to advances in confocal detector technology), and 3) because no pinhole is used to reject light, a much larger fraction of the emitted light is collected. Thus we can typically acquire images with thousands of photons per pixel using a mercury lamp, instead of a laser, for illumination. The use of low excitation light is critical for living samples, and also reduces bleaching. The high speed of widefield microscopy is also essential for time-lapse 3D microscopy, since one must acquire images quickly enough to resolve interesting events.

Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy and Three-Dimesnsional Reconstruction of the Mitotic Spindles of Unequally Dividing Embryonic Cells

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-167
Author(s):  
J. Holy ◽  
G. Schatten
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Embryonic Cells ◽  
Mitotic Spindles ◽  
Cleavage Division ◽  
Scanning Confocal Microscopy

One of the classic limitations of light microscopy has been the fact that three dimensional biological events could only be visualized in two dimensions. Recently, this shortcoming has been overcome by combining the technologies of laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and computer processing of microscopical data by volume rendering methods. We have employed these techniques to examine morphogenetic events characterizing early development of sea urchin embryos. Specifically, the fourth cleavage division was examined because it is at this point that the first morphological signs of cell differentiation appear, manifested in the production of macromeres and micromeres by unequally dividing vegetal blastomeres.The mitotic spindle within vegetal blastomeres undergoing unequal cleavage are highly polarized and develop specialized, flattened asters toward the micromere pole. In order to reconstruct the three-dimensional features of these spindles, both isolated spindles and intact, extracted embryos were fluorescently labeled with antibodies directed against either centrosomes or tubulin.

Two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy in living systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 154-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Piston
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Fluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Singlet State ◽  
Excited Electronic State ◽  
Input Power ◽  
Two Photon ◽  
Simultaneous Absorption ◽  
Photon Excitation ◽  
Very High ◽  
Two Photon Excitation

Two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy provides attractive advantages over confocal microscopy for three-dimensionally resolved fluorescence imaging. Two-photon excitation arises from the simultaneous absorption of two photons in a single quantitized event whose probability is proportional to the square of the instantaneous intensity. For example, two red photons can cause the transition to an excited electronic state normally reached by absorption in the ultraviolet. In our fluorescence experiments, the final excited state is the same singlet state that is populated during a conventional fluorescence experiment. Thus, the fluorophore exhibits the same emission properties (e.g. wavelength shifts, environmental sensitivity) used in typical biological microscopy studies. In practice, two-photon excitation is made possible by the very high local instantaneous intensity provided by a combination of diffraction-limited focusing of a single laser beam in the microscope and the temporal concentration of 100 femtosecond pulses generated by a mode-locked laser. Resultant peak excitation intensities are 106 times greater than the CW intensities used in confocal microscopy, but the pulse duty cycle of 10−5 maintains the average input power on the order of 10 mW, only slightly greater than the power normally used in confocal microscopy.

Integration of Core-Edge Spectroscopy Methods for the Study of Polymers

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 154-155
Author(s):  
E. G. Rightor
Keyword(s):  
Excited State ◽  
Polymer Blends ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Electronic States ◽  
Core Electron ◽  
Bulk Solids ◽  
Development Application

Core edge spectroscopy methods are versatile tools for investigating a wide variety of materials. They can be used to probe the electronic states of materials in bulk solids, on surfaces, or in the gas phase. This family of methods involves promoting an inner shell (core) electron to an excited state and recording either the primary excitation or secondary decay of the excited state. The techniques are complimentary and have different strengths and limitations for studying challenging aspects of materials. The need to identify components in polymers or polymer blends at high spatial resolution has driven development, application, and integration of results from several of these methods.

A quantitative image analysis method for the determination of cocontinuity in polymer blends

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 894-895
Author(s):  
William A. Heeschen
Keyword(s):  
Image Analysis ◽  
Polymer Blends ◽  
Quantitative Measurement ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Phase Ratio ◽  
Irregular Shapes ◽  
Quantitative Image ◽  
Discrete Domains ◽  
A Domains

Two new morphological measurements based on digital image analysis, CoContinuity and CoContinuity Balance, have been developed and implemented for quantitative measurement of morphology in polymer blends. The morphology of polymer blends varies with phase ratio, composition and processing. A typical morphological evolution for increasing phase ratio of polymer A to polymer B starts with discrete domains of A in a matrix of B (A/B < 1), moves through a cocontinuous distribution of A and B (A/B ≈ 1) and finishes with discrete domains of B in a matrix of A (A/B > 1). For low phase ratios, A is often seen as solid convex particles embedded in the continuous B phase. As the ratio increases, A domains begin to evolve into irregular shapes, though still recognizable as separate domains. Further increase in the phase ratio leads to A domains which extend into and surround the B phase while the B phase simultaneously extends into and surrounds the A phase.

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