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Updated: Jan 22, 2026
08:30
Preparation of Graphene-Supported Microwell Liquid Cells for In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy
Published on: July 15, 2019
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Contrast Mechanisms of Solution-Dispersed Graphene Compounds in Twilight Fluorescence Microscopy
Yu-Uki Ishikawa1, Yu-Uto Watanabe1, Masahito Sano1
1Department of Organic Materials Science , Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jyonan , Yonezawa , Yamagata 992-8510 , Japan.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|July 12, 2019
Summary
Twilight fluorescence microscopy images single-layer graphene in liquid using dye fluorescence. A simplified theory explains dark contrast based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) with a surprisingly short cutoff distance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Graphene imaging in liquids presents challenges.
- New microscopy techniques are needed for nanoscale material characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate twilight fluorescence microscopy for imaging graphene in liquid.
- To develop a theoretical model for graphene contrast in this technique.
Main Methods:
- Utilized twilight fluorescence microscopy with a concentrated dye solution.
- Irradiated the graphene solution near the total internal reflection angle.
- Developed a simplified theory based on absorption and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).
Main Results:
- Twilight fluorescence microscopy successfully imaged single-layer graphene compounds in liquid.
- The simplified theory accurately predicted contrast for reduced graphene oxide multilayers.
- A significantly short FRET cutoff distance, similar to small molecules, was observed.
Conclusions:
- Twilight fluorescence microscopy is effective for graphene imaging in liquids.
- The observed short FRET cutoff distance validates the simplified theoretical model.
- This technique offers a new approach for studying nanomaterials in solution.
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