Photothermal spectroscopy and micro/nanofluidics

Abstract

Photothermal spectroscopy, a remarkable detection method that can analyze microscale objects in a noninvasive and nondestructive manner, has been successfully coupled with micro/nanofluidic devices. Specifically, methods that employ a thermal lens microscope (TLM), including a photothermal optical phase shift and photothermal optical diffraction, are a powerful tool for the sensitive detection of nonfluorescent or nonlabeled molecules in micro/nanofluidic channels. This review focuses on the family of TLMs in terms of their historical development. Their recent applications, ranging from separation, particle, biomedical, energy, and environmental analyses, are summarized, and future perspectives in nanoscale liquid science, system integration, and biological studies, such as single-cell analyses, are also discussed.