Locally Structured On-Chip Optofluidic Hollow-Core Light Cages for Single Nanoparticle Tracking

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Jisoo Kim - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Ronny Förster - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Author)
  • Torsten Wieduwilt - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Author)
  • Bumjoon Jang - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Johannes Bürger - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Julian Gargiulo - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Leonardo De S. Menezes - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Author)
  • Christian Rossner - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Andreas Fery - , Chair of Physical Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Stefan A. Maier - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Imperial College London, Monash University (Author)
  • Markus A. Schmidt - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)

Abstract

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) is a widely used methodology to investigate nanoscale systems at the single species level. Here, we introduce the locally structured on-chip optofluidic hollow-core light cage, as a novel platform for waveguide-assisted NTA. This hollow waveguide guides light by the antiresonant effect in a sparse array of dielectric strands and includes a local modification to realize aberration-free tracking of individual nano-objects, defining a novel on-chip solution with properties specifically tailored for NTA. The key features of our system are (i) well-controlled nano-object illumination through the waveguide mode, (ii) diffraction-limited and aberration-free imaging at the observation site, and (iii) a high level of integration, achieved by on-chip interfacing to fibers. The present study covers all aspects relevant for NTA including design, simulation, implementation via 3D nanoprinting, and optical characterization. The capabilities of the approach to precisely characterize practically relevant nanosystems have been demonstrated by measuring the solvency-induced collapse of a nanoparticle system which includes polymer brush-based shells that react to changes in the liquid environment. Our study unlocks the advantages of the light cage approach in the context of NTA, suggesting its application in various areas such as bioanalytics, life science, environmental science, or nanoscale material science in general.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2951-2959
Number of pages9
JournalACS sensors
Volume7
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 28 Oct 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 36260351

Keywords

Keywords

  • colloidal analytics, integrated photonics, nanoparticle tracking analysis, optofluidics, waveguiding