title: Near-field Raman imaging of morphological and chemical defects in organic crystals with subdiffraction resolution.
abstract: In this study we report on the application of an aperture near-field optical microscope for Raman imaging of organic materials. Spectral analysis and detailed Raman imaging are performed with integration times of 100 ms per point, without the aid of field enhancement effects. The studied samples consist of two high Raman-efficiency molecular samples: a 7,7',8,8'-tetracyanoquinodimethane crystal showing surface defects and a 7,7',8,8'-tetracyanoquinodimethane thin film characterized by the presence of submicrometre-sized organometallic copper-salt complexes. In the first case, the effect of the surface deformation was studied, whereas in the second sample we were able to chemically image the formation of salt complexes. Subdiffraction resolution was achieved in both studies.
authors.affiliation: CNR- Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, sez. Messina, Via La Farina 237, I-98123 Messina, Italy. gucciardi@me.cnr.it
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gucciardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trusso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vasi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patanè
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allegrini
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D003461:Crystallography; D020527:Microscopy, Scanning Probe; D008961:Models, Structural; D009570:Nitriles / Q000032:analysis; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; C013703:tetracyanoquinodimethane