| Abstract: | Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool which provides chemical information about a sample without a priori knowledge. By combining vibrational spectroscopy with different microscopic techniques, scientists can visualize and characterize the chemical composition of a sample on length scales which cover many orders of magnitude; from far‐field radiation used in microwave astronomy and Fourier transform infrared microscopy, to near‐field scattering used in tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy and scanning near‐field optical or infrared microscopy. Here, various modern chemical mapping techniques are reviewed and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Also, a basic theoretical background is provided for each technique along with several illustrative examples. |
