High-Resolution Nanochemical Mapping of Soft Materials

Abstract

Identifying chemical phases in inhomogeneous materials via their infrared fingerprints is routinely performed, but the employed infrared spectroscopy is limited in spatial resolution to ~10 µm. Scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) circumvents this limitation, accessing the 10–20 nm scale. Here, we introduce Bruker's Inspire™ tool that is based on s-SNOM and that provides non-destructive, modeling-free absorption mapping. We discuss application examples in polymer research, highlighting the high spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity. In combination with other atomic force microscopy (AFM) modes, in particular PeakForce Tapping®, the full breadth of nanooptical, nanomechanical, and nanoelectrical properties becomes accessible for comprehensive material characterization.