Analytical Spectroscopy Methods for Colloids and Colloid-derived Materials

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Professor Joel Harris of the University of Utah is funded by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to study single molecule fluorescence imaging and optical trapping techniques for the study of colloids and colloid-derived materials (e.g. silica). Single molecule fluorescence imaging spectroscopy will be used to determine distributions of dye labels, to count reactive surface sites, and to determine particle volume and areas. Optical trapping will provide long residence times to observe Raman scattering and determine chemical composition of individual particles and kinetics of surface reactions. A wide variety of chemical materials and industrial processes depend on the dispersion of finely divided solid materials in liquids, and probing the chemistry of these particles is a challenge for chemical analysis. The combination of single molecule spectroscopy and optical trapping is being used by others, especially in biological chemistry, but the proposal to use these on colloidal particles is unique.