Abstract
In the past few decades there has been a revolution in the field of optical microscopy with emerging capabilities such as super-resolution and single-molecule fluorescence techniques. Combined with the classical advantages of fluorescence imaging, such as chemical labeling specificity, and noninvasive sample preparation and imaging, these methods have enabled significant advances in our polymer community. This Viewpoint discusses several of these capabilities and how they can uniquely offer information where other characterization techniques are limited. Several examples are highlighted that demonstrate the ability of fluorescence microscopy to understand key questions in polymer science such as single-molecule diffusion and orientation, 3D nanostructural morphology, and interfacial and multicomponent dynamics. Finally, we briefly discuss opportunities for further advances in techniques that may allow them to make an even greater contribution in polymer science.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1342-1356 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | ACS Macro Letters |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 15 2020 |
Funding
We thank Jonathan M. Chan for helpful contributions to graphical elements. Z.Q. acknowledges the generous financial support from the University of Southern Mississippi. M.W. is grateful for financial assistance from Award 70NANB19H005 from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, as part of the Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD) and from the Donors of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Organic Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry