Single-molecule analysis of ultradilute solutions with guided streams of 1-{mu}m water droplets
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory,, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6142 (United States)
We describe instrumentation for real-time detection of single-molecule fluorescence in guided streams of 1-{mu}m (nominal) water droplets. In this technique, target molecules were confined to droplets whose volumes were comparable with illumination volumes in diffraction-limited fluorescence microscopy and guided to the waist of a cw probe laser with an electrostatic potential. Concentration detection limits for Rhodamine 6G in water were determined to be {approximately}1 fM, roughly 3 orders of magnitude lower than corresponding limits determined recently with diffraction-limited microscopy techniques for a chemical separation of similar dyes. In addition to its utility as a vehicle for probing single molecules, instrumentation for producing and focusing stable streams of 1{endash}2-{mu}m-diameter droplets may have other important analytical applications as well. {copyright} 1999 Optical Society of America
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 338654
- Journal Information:
- Applied Optics, Vol. 38, Issue 9; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Laser-induced fluorescence of flowing samples as an approach to single-molecule detection in liquids
Detection of single fluorescent molecules in microdroplets: Experiment and photophysics