2023-09-01 スイス連邦工科大学ローザンヌ校(EPFL)
◆ナノ流体構造内の分子の挙動に関する新たな理解が得られ、将来的な光学イメージングやセンシングへの革新的な応用が期待されています。
＜関連情報＞
- https://actu.epfl.ch/news/peering-into-nanofluidic-mysteries-one-photon-at-a/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-023-01658-2
ナノ流体センシングのための純粋六方晶窒化ホウ素からの液体活性化量子発光 Liquid-activated quantum emission from pristine hexagonal boron nitride for nanofluidic sensing
Nathan Ronceray,Yi You,Evgenii Glushkov,Martina Lihter,Benjamin Rehl,Tzu-Heng Chen,Gwang-Hyeon Nam,Fanny Borza,Kenji Watanabe,Takashi Taniguchi,Sylvie Roke,Ashok Keerthi,Jean Comtet,Boya Radha & Aleksandra Radenovic
Nature Materials Published:31 August 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-023-01658-2
Abstract
Liquids confined down to the atomic scale can show radically new properties. However, only indirect and ensemble measurements operate in such extreme confinement, calling for novel optical approaches that enable direct imaging at the molecular level. Here we harness fluorescence originating from single-photon emitters at the surface of hexagonal boron nitride for molecular imaging and sensing in nanometrically confined liquids. The emission originates from the chemisorption of organic solvent molecules onto native surface defects, revealing single-molecule dynamics at the interface through the spatially correlated activation of neighbouring defects. Emitter spectra further offer a direct readout of the local dielectric properties, unveiling increasing dielectric order under nanometre-scale confinement. Liquid-activated native hexagonal boron nitride defects bridge the gap between solid-state nanophotonics and nanofluidics, opening new avenues for nanoscale sensing and optofluidics.
