Orientational Mapping Augmented Sub-Wavelength Hyper-Spectral Imaging of Silk.

ABSTRACT: Molecular alignment underpins optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of materials, however, its direct measurement from volumes with micrometer dimensions is not accessible, especially, for structurally complex bio-materials. How the molecular alignment is linked to extraordinary properties of silk and its amorphous-crystalline composition has to be accessed by a direct measurement from a single silk fiber. Here, we show orientation mapping of the internal silk fiber structure via polarisation-dependent IR absorbance at high spatial resolution of 4.2 μm and 1.9 μm in a hyper-spectral IR imaging by attenuated total reflection using synchrotron radiation in the spectral fingerprint region around 6 μm wavelength. Free-standing longitudinal micro-slices of silk fibers, thinner than the fi

SUBMITTER: Ryu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5547124 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature