Researchers at the University of Göttingen have developed a new method that takes advantage of the unusual properties of graphene to interact electromagnetically with fluorescent molecules (emitting light). This method allows scientists to measure optically very small distances, in the order of 1 Ångström (one-ten billionth of a meter), with high precision and reproducibility. This allowed the researchers to optically measure the thickness of the lipid bilayers, the constituent material of the membranes of all living cells. The results were published in Photonic Nature.

Researchers at the University of Göttingen, led by Professor Enderlein, used a single sheet of graphene, with a thickness of only one atom (0.34 nm), to modulate the emission of light emitting (fluorescent) molecules as they approach the graphene sheet. The excellent optical transparency of graphene and its ability to spatially modulate the emission of molecules made it an extremely sensitive tool for measuring the distance of individual molecules from the graphene sheet. The accuracy of this method is such that even the slightest change in distance of about 1 Ångström can be solved. Scientists have been able to demonstrate this by depositing single molecules over a layer of graphene. They could then determine their distance by monitoring and evaluating their light emission. This modulation of graphene induced molecular light emission provides an extremely sensitive and precise "ruler" for the determination of single molecule positions in space. They used this method to measure the thickness of single lipid bilayers, consisting of two layers of fatty acid chain molecules and a total thickness of only a few nanometers.

"Our method offers tremendous potential in super-resolution microscopy because it allows us to locate unique molecules with nanoscale resolution not only laterally (as with the previous methods) but also with similar precision in the third direction, allowing a true three-dimensional optical imaging on the length scale of macromolecules, "says Arindam Ghosh, the first author of the article.

"It will be a powerful tool with many applications for distance resolution with sub-nanometric precision in individual molecules, molecular complexes or small cell organelles," adds Professor Jörg Enderlein, corresponding author of the publication and director of the Third Institute of Physics (Biophysics). ) where the work took place.

Researchers at the University of Göttingen have developed a new method that takes advantage of the unusual properties of graphene to interact electromagnetically with fluorescent molecules (emitting light). This method allows scientists to measure optically very small distances, in the order of 1 Ångström (one-ten billionth of a meter), with high precision and reproducibility. This allowed the researchers to optically measure the thickness of the lipid bilayers, the constituent material of the membranes of all living cells. The results were published in Photonic Nature.

Researchers at the University of Göttingen, led by Professor Enderlein, used a single sheet of graphene, with a thickness of only one atom (0.34 nm), to modulate the emission of light emitting (fluorescent) molecules as they approach the graphene sheet. The excellent optical transparency of graphene and its ability to spatially modulate the emission of molecules made it an extremely sensitive tool for measuring the distance of individual molecules from the graphene sheet. The accuracy of this method is such that even the slightest change in distance of about 1 Ångström can be solved. Scientists have been able to demonstrate this by depositing single molecules over a layer of graphene. They could then determine their distance by monitoring and evaluating their light emission. This modulation of graphene induced molecular light emission provides an extremely sensitive and precise "ruler" for the determination of single molecule positions in space. They used this method to measure the thickness of single lipid bilayers, consisting of two layers of fatty acid chain molecules and a total thickness of only a few nanometers.

"Our method offers tremendous potential in super-resolution microscopy because it allows us to locate unique molecules with nanoscale resolution not only laterally (as with the previous methods) but also with similar precision in the third direction, allowing a true three-dimensional optical imaging on the length scale of macromolecules, "says Arindam Ghosh, the first author of the article.

"It will be a powerful tool with many applications for distance resolution with sub-nanometric precision in individual molecules, molecular complexes or small cell organelles," adds Professor Jörg Enderlein, corresponding author of the publication and director of the Third Institute of Physics (Biophysics). ) where the work took place.