CPOS Seminar: "Tip-Enhanced Laser Desorption for simultaneous high-resolution imaging and chemical analysis"

Speaker: Ana Parejo Vidal, PhD Student, Chemistry and Biochemistry / De Vries Group, UCSB

On the one hand, high-resolution imaging techniques provide detailed nanoscale topography, while on the other hand spectroscopic tools offer rich chemical information. However, the simultaneous acquisition of both sensitive chemical and morphological information from heterogeneous, complex samples remains a significant challenge.

Tip-Enhanced Laser Desorption (TELD) bridges this gap by combining the spatial precision of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) with the chemical sensitivity and selectivity of analytical techniques, such as Resonance-Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization (REMPI) and PCR. TELD enables localized desorption of intact molecules with sub-micron resolution, followed by offline chemical analysis, akin to taking a nanobiopsy. 

This talk will highlight the design and capabilities of a custom TELD prototype, along with ongoing developments extending its application to heterogeneous organic materials and living cells, positioning TELD as a powerful tool for high-resolution surface analysis in materials science and bioanalysis, for example in the characterization of fragile materials such as biological systems, organic matter from planetary bodies, and painted cross-sections.