Total Internal Reflection Transient Absorption Microscopy: An Online Detection Method for Microfluidics

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Microreactors offer precise control over synthetic parameters for efficient production.
• Lack of online detection and optimization methods hinders microfluidic reactor advancement.
• Continuous flow systems require real-time monitoring for process control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and characterize total internal reflection transient absorption microscopy (TIRTAM) for microfluidic applications.
• To demonstrate online monitoring of excited state dynamics in continuous flow devices.
• To provide a method for optimizing chemical reactions within microfluidic systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a total internal reflection transient absorption microscopy (TIRTAM) instrument.
• Applied TIRTAM to image excited state dynamics on a continuous flow microfluidic device.
• Performed online transient absorption measurements.

Main Results:

• Successfully imaged excited state dynamics in a microfluidic reactor.
• Demonstrated the ability to discriminate between different chromophores.
• Showcased differentiation of local chemical environment effects on chromophores.

Conclusions:

• This work presents the first online transient absorption measurements in microfluidic devices.
• TIRTAM provides a novel approach for real-time analysis of chemical processes.
• This method offers a new direction for the advancement and optimization of microfluidic chemical reactions.