Chemical Microscopy

The localization and characterization of molecular structures in various geological and biological systems plays an important role in all areas of environmental science.

Chemical microscopy combines high-resolution emission spectra with Abbe-limited spatial resolution and is used for studies of inhomogeneous samples at the (sub-)micronscale. The spatial distinction of multiple Eu(III) coordination sites allows for a comprehensive understanding of environmental samples and highlights the applicability of Eu(III) as a molecular probe in medicine and biology.

For this purpose, the sample is excited with a suitable laser through the microscope's optics and the emission is recorded using a high-resolution detector. The microscopy system used (HORIBA LabRAM system) thus correlatively couples optical microscopy with luminescence and Raman spectroscopy.

Vogel, Manja, et al. "Spatially resolved Eu (III) environments by chemical microscopy." Analyst, 2021, 146, 6741-6745.