Raman spectroscopy is known as a powerful materials characterisation method that is complementary to infrared spectroscopy. For conventional Raman spectroscopic measurements, a monochromatic laser light is focused on the sample where Raman scattering occurs. The Raman light is collected from the focal point where the spatially resolved spectral information is analysed. In our research we use FT-Raman spectroscopy, confocal Raman microscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), we have obtained some of the first TERS chemical images at nanoscale for non-conductive samples (see articles in Nanotechnology in TERS section below). This TERS research has been supported by our ERC Advanced Grant (ERC grant 227950): "Enhancing microfabricated devices with chemical imaging for novel chemical technology"
Please click the links below to find out more:
Tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS)
See our review article: Gibson K.F., Kazarian S.G. Tip-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry, eds R.A. Meyers, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (2014) (doi) and our most recent collaborative article on Tip-enhanced Raman: Kharintsev S.S., Fishman A.I., Saikin S. K., Kazarian S. G. Near-field Raman dichroism of azo-polymers exposed to nanoscale dc electrical and optical poling Nanoscale (2016) 8, 19867 - 19875 (doi) has been featured at the web-page of the Department of Chemical Engineering and most recent article on Nonlinear Raman Effects Enhanced by Surface Plasmon Excitation in Planar Refractory Nanoantennas in NANO LETTERS (2017) (doi) which has also been featured in the Department web-site. The latest articles on the topic of TERS are Superresolution Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy Using 2-ENZ Refractory Nano-Composites in Nanoscale (2019) (doi), Disordered Nonlinear Metalens for Raman Spectral Nano-Imaging ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2020) (doi). and Nanoscale Sensing Vitrification of 3D Confined Glassy Polymers Through Refractory Thermoplasmonics ACS Photonics (2021) 8 (5), 1477–1488 (doi) and most recently Kharintsev S. S. and Kazarian S. G. “Nanoscale Melting of 3D Confined Azo-Polymers Through Tunable Thermoplasmonics". The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (2022) 13 (23) 5351–5357 (Cover Article and Open Access), (doi)