Ohio University’s Chemistry & Biochemistry Colloquium Series presents Dr. Gufeng Wang on “Super Resolution Optical Microscopy in Nanoconfined Environments” on Monday, Oct. 19, at 4:10 p.m. in Clippinger 194.
Dr. Gufeng Wang
Wang is Assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry at North Carolina State University, Raleigh.
Abstract: Nanoconfined environments refer to voids, pores, planar channels, etc., where molecules are confined by interfaces within a length scale of nanometers. Materials containing these structures are broadly used in industry including human healthcare and green energy generation. Despite their wide use, the behavior of molecules and nanoparticles in these confined environments is poorly understood to date. For example, extraordinarily slow mass transport in nanometer-sized pores has been reported repeatedly while its origin still under debating. These fundamental questions are unresolved largely because of technical challenges: insufficient spatial or temporal resolution. The advent of super-resolution optical microscopy gives us a new opportunity in re-investigating these fundamental phenomena. Compared to other high-resolution techniques like electron microscopy or scanning probe microscopy, optical microscopy allows us to observe highly dynamic processes in real time and in situ! In this study, we develop two complementary techniques: stimulated emission depletion (STED) micros-copy and three-dimensional single molecule/particle super localization microscopy to investigate abnormal mass transport near flat surfaces and in nanopores. By confining nanoparticles close to a surface by a distance from ~1000 nm – zero (in contact), we show that unexpected forces emerge, leading to the particles’ microscopic movements opposite to that disclosed by macroscopic measurements. The 3D trajectories of the nanoparticles disclose unprecedented details of how particles interact with the confined environments, which will shed new light in our understanding of the microscopic world.
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