Development of super-resolution infrared microscopy and ultrafast infrared spectroscopy
Dr. Takuro Ideguchi
Associate Professor
Institute for Photon Science and Technology
School of Science
The University of Tokyo
*The organization and the title are those when awarded
Research summary
Chemical analysis of microplastics (MPs)*1 is essential for preserving the water environment. Infrared spectroscopy*2, one of the useful chemical analysis methods, has two shortages for MPs analysis: (1) MPs whose size is below one μm cannot be analyzed by this method. (2) Acquisition time tends to be long. Dr. Ideguchi developed mid-infrared photothermal microscopy*3 to solve the issue (1). This microscope can visualize finer MPs down to approximately 100 nm in size, enabling analyzing nano plastics, which are known to be difficult to evacuate from the human body. He also developed the fastest infrared spectroscopy, called time-stretch infrared spectroscopy*4, to solve the issue (2) and demonstrated approximately 100 million data acquisition per second. This method allows us to collect a massive amount of chemical data in a short time, showing a possibility for big data analysis of MPs.
Tiny plastic particles found in the environment. There are concerns about their significant adverse effects on the human body and the environment, especially in the marine ecosystem.
A method of irradiating a sample with light in the infrared region and measuring the light absorption of each wavelength. Since the wavelengths absorbed vary depending on the structure of the molecules that make up microplastics, it is possible to determine what molecules are contained in them by measuring the infrared spectrum, with the wavelength on the horizontal axis plotted against the amount of light absorbed or transmitted on the vertical axis.
A super-resolution infrared spectroscopic microscope that irradiates a sample with mid-infrared laser light and utilizes the change in refractive index (photothermal effect) caused by the rise in temperature near the molecules that absorb mid-infrared light. In principle, infrared spectroscopy is achieved in a fine analysis area by detecting the change in refractive index with visible light, which has a finer analysis area than mid-infrared light.
An infrared spectroscopic method in which an ultrashort pulse laser light consisting of light of various wavelengths is irradiated onto a sample, and the intensity information (spectrum) of the transmitted light for each wavelength is converted into a time waveform of the pulse light intensity to obtain the spectrum.
Tiny plastic particles found in the environment. There are concerns about their significant adverse effects on the human body and the environment, especially in the marine ecosystem.
A method of irradiating a sample with light in the infrared region and measuring the light absorption of each wavelength. Since the wavelengths absorbed vary depending on the structure of the molecules that make up microplastics, it is possible to determine what molecules are contained in them by measuring the infrared spectrum, with the wavelength on the horizontal axis plotted against the amount of light absorbed or transmitted on the vertical axis.
A super-resolution infrared spectroscopic microscope that irradiates a sample with mid-infrared laser light and utilizes the change in refractive index (photothermal effect) caused by the rise in temperature near the molecules that absorb mid-infrared light. In principle, infrared spectroscopy is achieved in a fine analysis area by detecting the change in refractive index with visible light, which has a finer analysis area than mid-infrared light.
An infrared spectroscopic method in which an ultrashort pulse laser light consisting of light of various wavelengths is irradiated onto a sample, and the intensity information (spectrum) of the transmitted light for each wavelength is converted into a time waveform of the pulse light intensity to obtain the spectrum.
