Colorimetric response in polydiacetylene at the single domain level using hyperspectral microscopy

The structural variance of polydiacetylene (PDA) at the nanoscale level, even under the same fabrication conditions, is one of the origins of its poor reproducibility in chemo/biosensing. In this work, we present a spatial map of such structural distributions within a single crystal by taking advantage of the recent development of hyperspectral microscopy at visible wavelengths. Hyperspectral microscopy provides the distribution of absorption spectra at the spatial resolution of standard optical microscopy. By tracking the blue-to-red transition via this technique, we found that heat or pH stimulation leaves a unique pattern in the transition pathways.

Automated summary

By utilizing hyperspectral microscopy at visible wavelengths, we are able to present a spatial map of the structural distribution of polydiacetylene (PDA) at the nanoscale within a single crystal. It has been found that the structural variance of PDA, even under the same fabrication conditions, contributes to its poor reproducibility in chemo/biosensing. The tracking of the blue-to-red transition using this technique reveals distinct patterns left by heat or pH stimulation in the transition pathways.