1] Department of Applied Physics, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan [2].
Nat Commun. 2013;4:2592. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3592.
Tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy is a powerful technique for analysing nanomaterials at high spatial resolution far beyond the diffraction limit of light. However, imaging of intrinsic properties of materials such as individual molecules or local structures has not yet been achieved even with a tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscope. Here we demonstrate colour-coded tip-enhanced Raman scattering imaging of strain distribution along the length of a carbon nanotube. The strain is induced by dragging the nanotube with an atomic force microscope tip. A silver-coated nanotip is employed to enhance and detect Raman scattering from specific locations of the nanotube directly under the tip apex, representing deformation of its molecular alignment because of the existence of local strain. Our technique remarkably provides an insight into localized variations of structural properties in nanomaterials, which could prove useful for a variety of applications of carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials as functional devices and materials.
尖端增强拉曼散射显微镜是一种强大的技术，可在高空间分辨率下分析纳米材料，远超过光的衍射极限。然而，即使使用尖端增强拉曼散射显微镜，也尚未实现对材料的固有特性（如单个分子或局部结构）的成像。在这里，我们展示了沿碳纳米管长度的应变分布的彩色编码尖端增强拉曼散射成像。应变是通过用原子力显微镜针尖拖动纳米管而产生的。采用镀银纳米尖端来增强和检测针尖顶点正下方纳米管的特定位置的拉曼散射，这代表由于存在局部应变而导致其分子排列的变形。我们的技术显著地提供了对纳米材料结构特性的局部变化的深入了解，这对于碳纳米管和其他纳米材料作为功能器件和材料的各种应用可能是有用的。
