Single‐molecule fluorescence microscopy for imaging chemical reactions: Recent progress and future opportunities for advancing polymer systems

Abstract

Single‐molecule fluorescence (smFL) imaging techniques have evolved greatly over the past two decades to encompass the ability to monitor chemical reactions, providing unique advantages of non‐invasive sample preparation and characterization, labeling specificity, and high spatial and temporal resolutions. This work summarizes the recent progress in this important area by first providing a brief overview of different smFL techniques, including their common optical setups and working principles. We then introduce recent developments of smFL to characterize various model chemical reaction systems, such as biochemical synthesis, catalyzed systems, and nanomaterial assembly. Furthermore, several representative areas of using smFL to understand polymer reactions are discussed, including understanding interfacial phenomenon and polymerization kinetics, as well as characterizing electrochemical reactions. We also highlight the outlook of this exciting field and potential opportunities for further development and application of smFL to enable advances in polymer chemistry and physics.

Nanoscale Luminescence Imaging/Detection of Single Particles: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects

“…Single molecule FLM can reveal structure–property relationship of single particles by imaging reactants/products and surface reaction hot spots of catalytic reactions at the level of an individual molecule/particle with nanometer precision. , Such information could be utilized for designing and developing high performance catalysts. For example, Xu and colleagues revealed facet-/shape-dependent catalytic activities of single Pd NPs using single FLM .…”