Visualization of the microstructure and the position-dependent diffusion coefficient in a blended polymer solid using photo-activation localization microscopy combined with single-molecule tracking based on one-color fluorescence-switching of diarylethene

Abstract

Using one-color fluorescence-switching of diarylethene derivatives (DAEs), thousands of single-molecule translational trajectories in a blended polymer solid were measured with nanometric accuracy. Reconstruction of the localized positions of the DAEs visualized the microstructure of the polymer blend and, at the same time, the position dependence of the local properties around the phase-separated area was elucidated through the local diffusion behaviors of single DAEs in the host material.