Structure, dynamics, and coupling involving single-molecules determine function in catalytic, electronic or biological systems. While vibrational spectroscopy provides insight into molecular structure, rapid fluctuations blur the molecular trajectory even in single-molecule spectroscopy, analogous to spatial averaging in measuring large ensembles. To gain insight into intramolecular coupling, substrate coupling, and dynamic processes, we use tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) at variable and cryogenic temperatures, to slow and control the motion of a single molecule. We resolve intrinsic line widths of individual normal modes, allowing detailed and quantitative investigation of the vibrational modes. From temperature dependent line narrowing and splitting, we quantify ultrafast vibrational dephasing, intramolecular coupling, and conformational heterogeneity. Through statistical correlation analysis of fluctuations of individual modes, we observe rotational motion and spectral fluctuations of the molecule. This work demonstrates single-molecule vibrational spectroscopy beyond chemical identification, opening the possibility for a complete picture of molecular motion ranging from femtoseconds to minutes.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04135DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

tip-enhanced raman
8
raman spectroscopy
8
vibrational spectroscopy
8
intramolecular coupling
8
spectroscopy
5
variable-temperature tip-enhanced
4
spectroscopy single-molecule
4
fluctuations
4
single-molecule fluctuations
4
fluctuations dynamics
4

Similar Publications

SERS-Based Local Field Enhancement in Biosensing Applications.

Molecules

December 2024

State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) stands out as a highly effective molecular identification technique, renowned for its exceptional sensitivity, specificity, and non-destructive nature. It has become a main technology in various sectors, including biological detection and imaging, environmental monitoring, and food safety. With the development of material science and the expansion of application fields, SERS substrate materials have also undergone significant changes: from precious metals to semiconductors, from single crystals to composite particles, from rigid to flexible substrates, and from two-dimensional to three-dimensional structures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fiber Vector Light-Field-Based Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Nano Lett

January 2025

Key Laboratory of Light Field Manipulation and Information Acquisition, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710129, China.

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) has been extensively employed to investigate the light-matter interaction at the nanoscale. However, the current TERS strategies lack the ability to excite the low-background inhomogeneous electromagnetic field with significant enhancement of electric field, electric field gradient, and optomagnetic field, simultaneously. To overcome this, we developed a fiber vector light-field-based TERS strategy aimed at exploring the multipole Raman scattering processes of molecules.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: a half-century historical perspective.

Chem Soc Rev

December 2024

State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, College of Environment and Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Department of Physics, iChEM, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has evolved significantly over fifty years into a powerful analytical technique. This review aims to achieve five main goals. (1) Providing a comprehensive history of SERS's discovery, its experimental and theoretical foundations, its connections to advances in nanoscience and plasmonics, and highlighting collective contributions of key pioneers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study presents an analytic model that improves the understanding of Raman and fluorescence enhancement in molecules situated between two closely spaced gold nanospheres, taking into account higher-order modes along with the traditional dipolar mode.
  • The model is validated by gap-dependent tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) experiments, which reveal varying trends of photoluminescence and Raman enhancement as the gap width decreases.
  • A red-shift in the background spectra indicates greater coupling between the nanospheres, demonstrating how the model effectively explains the mechanisms at play in the TERS experimental observations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDs) heterostructure, particularly the lateral heterostructure of two different TMDs, is gaining attention as ultrathin photonic devices based on the charge transfer (CT) excitons generated at the junction. However, the characteristics of the interface of the lateral heterostructure, determining the electronic band structure and alignment at the heterojunction region, have rarely been studied due to the limited spatial resolution of nondestructive analysis systems. In this study, we investigated the confined phonons resulting from the phonon-disorder scattering process involving multiple disorders at the lateral heterostructure interface of MoS-WS to prove the consequences of disorder-mediated deformation in the band structure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!