Project

Title
STM-tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy of single chiral molecules.
Period
July 1 2018 - June 30 2022
Grant
NCN Sonata Bis 7
Leader
University of Lodz (UL) - dr Paweł Krukowski
Objectives
The research work planned in the frame of this project is of a fundamental character, involving the study of basic physical chemistry laws and universal principles of nature. The purpose of this project is understand better the influence of local enhancement of electromagnetic field localised between STM tip and plasmonic substrate, when its irradiated by laser on the enhancement of Raman inelastic scattering of light by molecules. This is directly related to the basic issues of plasmonic nearfield enhancement and coupling effects on molecular inelastic scattering of light. The main goal of this project is to develop an innovative technique called TERS-STM (Tip-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy-Scanning Tunneling Microscopy) working in ultrahigh vacuum conditions and then to carry out an investigation towards chemical identification of various chiral molecules at a single molecule scale based on the observation of vibrational tip-enhanced Raman spectra. The completely new idea of research work presented in this proposal is related to the determination of the absolute chirality of individual adsorbed molecules based on enhanced Raman signal. In particular, we will attempt to answer the fundamental question of the possibility of detection of optical dissymmetry (differential absorption/scattering of right- and left-handed circularly polarised light) at the single-molecule level. Similar investigation providing evidence and argument that makes a significant contribution into fundamental knowledge of molecular optical dissymmetry at the single-molecule level has never been reported. The principal results and major research findings of the investigations obtained in the frame of project will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and will be presented at international conferences. The realisation of all project objectives will lead to a new spectroscopic technique allowing the determination of the absolute chirality of single chiral molecule, which can be applied to the fundamental research in many fields of chemistry, physics, biology and materials science.