TY - JOUR

T1 - Wide-Field and Real-Time Super-Resolution Optical Imaging By Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle-Assembled Solid Immersion Lens

AU - Wang, Weicheng

AU - Yan, Bing

AU - Wang, Haiyan

AU - Chen, Yue

AU - Nie, Xiuyu

AU - Yi, Changfeng

AU - Wang, Zengbo (James )

AU - Xu, Zushun

AU - Zeng, Jing

AU - Fan, Wen

PY - 2023/6/7

Y1 - 2023/6/7

N2 - Super-resolution optical imaging techniques can break the optical diffraction limit, thus providing unique opportunities to visualize the microscopic world at the nanoscale. Although near-field optical microscopy techniques have been proven to achieve significantly improved imaging resolution, most near-field approaches still suffer from a narrow field of view (FOV) or difficulty in obtaining wide-field images in real time, which may limit their widespread and diverse applications. Here, the authors experimentally demonstrate an optical microscope magnification and image enhancement approach by using a submillimeter-sized solid immersion lens (SIL) assembled by densely-packed 15 nm TiO2 nanoparticles through a silicone oil two-step dehydration method. This TiO2 nanoparticle-assembled SIL can achieve both high transparency and high refractive index, as well as sufficient mechanical strength and easy-to-handle size, thus providing a fast, wide-field, real-time, non-destructive, and low-cost solution for improving the quality of optical microscopic observation of a variety of samples, including nanomaterials, cancer cells, and living cells or bacteria under conventional optical microscopes. This study provides an attractive alternative to simplify the fabrication and applications of high-performance SILs.

AB - Super-resolution optical imaging techniques can break the optical diffraction limit, thus providing unique opportunities to visualize the microscopic world at the nanoscale. Although near-field optical microscopy techniques have been proven to achieve significantly improved imaging resolution, most near-field approaches still suffer from a narrow field of view (FOV) or difficulty in obtaining wide-field images in real time, which may limit their widespread and diverse applications. Here, the authors experimentally demonstrate an optical microscope magnification and image enhancement approach by using a submillimeter-sized solid immersion lens (SIL) assembled by densely-packed 15 nm TiO2 nanoparticles through a silicone oil two-step dehydration method. This TiO2 nanoparticle-assembled SIL can achieve both high transparency and high refractive index, as well as sufficient mechanical strength and easy-to-handle size, thus providing a fast, wide-field, real-time, non-destructive, and low-cost solution for improving the quality of optical microscopic observation of a variety of samples, including nanomaterials, cancer cells, and living cells or bacteria under conventional optical microscopes. This study provides an attractive alternative to simplify the fabrication and applications of high-performance SILs.

KW - nano self-assembly

KW - solid immersion lens

KW - super-resolution optical microscopy

KW - titanium dioxide nanoparticles

U2 - 10.1002/smll.202207596

DO - 10.1002/smll.202207596

M3 - Article

VL - 19

JO - Small

JF - Small

SN - 1613-6829

IS - 23

M1 - 2207596

ER -