2025 Volume 60 Issue 1 Pages 25-32
The demand for advanced spectroscopic techniques capable of direct observation and analysis at the nanoscale is growing rapidly, driven by progress in nanomaterials research, which is expected to play a key role in developing innovative devices based on the quantum properties of matter, as well as in biotechnology and biomedical engineering. Nano-spectroscopic imaging has become an indispensable experimental method for uncovering novel properties and functions of nanomaterials and understanding their underlying mechanisms. It enables precise evaluation of material structures, chemical compositions, and electrical and optical properties with nanoscale spatial resolution. This article introduces the latest advancements in infrared scattering-type near-field optical microscopy (IR-SNOM), a powerful nano-spectroscopic imaging technique, along with recent research from the author’s group. IR-SNOM extends the capabilities of infrared spectroscopy—a highly effective method for chemical analysis and property evaluation—by achieving spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit. We describe highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopy of single proteins and the direct observation of the insulator-to-metal phase transition in vanadium dioxide nanoparticles.
