Raman microspectroscopy of human sperm cells and nearfield infrared microscopy of nanoscale biomaterials like nanografted DNA have been performed. A newly developed station for the ANKA-IR2 beamline combines several techniques to study the same sample at the same position.
Using scattering scanning nearfield infrared microscopy (s-SNIM), we have imaged the nanoscale phase separation of mixed polystyrene-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-PMMA) brushes and investigated changes in the top layer as a function of solvent exposure. We deduce that the top-layer of the mixed brushes is composed primarily of PMMA after exposure to acetone, while after exposure to toluene this changes to PS. Access to simultaneously measured topographic and chemical information allows direct correlation of the chemical morphology of the sample with topographic information. Our results demonstrate the potential of s-SNIM for chemical mapping based on distinct infrared absorption properties of polymers with a high spatial resolution of 80 nm  80 nm.
Elastomers filled with hard nanoparticles are of great technical importance for the rubber industry. In general, fillers improve mechanical properties of polymer materials, e.g. elastic moduli, tensile strength etc. The smaller the size of the particles, the larger is the interface where interactions between polymer molecules and fillers can generate new properties. Using temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis, we investigated the properties of pure styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and SBR/alumina nanoparticles. Beside a reinforcement effect seen in the complex elastic moduli, small amounts of nanoparticles of about 2 wt% interestingly lead to an acceleration of the relaxation modes responsible for the thermal glass transition. This leads to a minimum in the glass transition temperature as a function of nanoparticle content in the vicinity of this critical concentration. The frequency dependent elastic moduli are used to discuss the possible reduction of the entanglement of rubber molecules as one cause for this unexpected behavior.
-Raman microspectroscopy of human sperm cells and nearfield infrared microscopy of nanoscale biomaterials like nanografted DNA have been performed. A newly developed station for the ANKA-IR2 beamline combines several techniques to study the same sample at the same position.
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