Development of instrumentation for sum frequency spectral imaging combined with confocal fluorescence imaging and additional topics

Understanding surface and interfacial lateral organization in material and biological systems is critical in nearly every field of science. The continued development of tools and techniques viable for elucidation of interfacial and surface information is thus necessary to address new questions and further current investigations. Sum frequency spectroscopy is a label free nonlinear optical technique with inherent surface specificity that can yield interfacial organizational information. Here I detail the construction and function of a hybrid sum frequency spectroscopy spectral imaging and confocal fluorescence imaging microscope directly amenable to surface investigations. I additionally detail two surface related studies: investigations of support induced perturbations in solid and cushioned phospholipid bilayers fabricated by Langmuir-Blodgett/Langmuir Schäfer techniques using z-scan fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and comparison of a Raman active, novel geometry, gold nanoprobe with a popular organic fluorophore for imaging applications.