FLIM-FRAPP: Near-Simultaneous Characterization of Multi-Scale Polymer Dynamics via Fluorescence Microscopy

Characterizing multi-scale dynamics of polymers is crucial to inform property-process relationships, but there is an outstanding gap between accessibility and comprehensive data collection. To this end, we present FLIM-FRAPP, a near-simultaneous and multi-scale hybrid approach between Fluorescence Lifetime Measurement (FLIM) and Fluorescence Recovery After Patterned Photobleaching (FRAPP), to probe the glass transition temperature and self-diffusion coefficient of a melt-state polymer thin film. Properties measured by FLIM-FRAPP within a few hours are in good agreement with the literature, validating the method as a unique exploration of polymer dynamics.