Interface-Sensitive Raman Microspectroscopy of Water via Confinement with a Multimodal Miniature Surface Forces Apparatus

Abstract

Modern interfacial science is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Unique insight into interfacial interactions requires new multimodal techniques for interrogating surfaces with simultaneous complementary physical and chemical measurements. We describe here the design and testing of a microscope that incorporates a miniature Surface Forces Apparatus ({\mu}SFA) in sphere vs. flat mode for force-distance measurements, while simultaneously acquiring Raman spectra of the confined zone. The microscope uses a simple optical setup that isolates independent optical paths for (i) the illumination and imaging of Newton's Rings and (ii) Raman-mode excitation and efficient signal collection. We benchmark the methodology by examining Teflon thin films in asymmetric (Teflon-water-glass) and symmetric (Teflon-water-Teflon) configurations. Water is observed near the Teflon-glass interface with nanometer-scale sensitivity in both the distance and Raman signals. We perform chemically-resolved, label-free imaging of confined contact regions between Teflon and glass surfaces immersed in water. Remarkably, we estimate that the combined approach enables vibrational spectroscopy with single water monolayer sensitivity within minutes. Altogether, the Raman-{\mu}SFA allows exploration of molecular confinement between surfaces with chemical selectivity and correlation with interaction forces.