Electrostatically Self-Assembled Multilayers of Chitosan and Xanthan Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy and Micro-Interferometry

The thickness and surface morphology of electrostatically self-assembled films of chitosan and xanthan (persistence length of ∼120nm) have been studied using dual-wavelength Reflection Interference Contrast Microscopy (DW-RICM) and tapping mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The multilayers were prepared at two ionic strengths (5mM and 150mM). When the multilayers were assembled at 150 mM a network like morphology was observed after one bilayer. This structure was found to be of large influence in the further growth of the multilayers, with the same kind of network structure being observed at all number of bilayers. A lack of swelling behaviour, as well as the network structure and the poresize of the network, is suggested to originate from the high chain stiffness of xanthan.     

The Early Stages of Native Enamel Dissolution Studied with Atomic Force Microscopy

Food-induced demineralization (erosion) is one of the key factors in surface structural changes of tooth enamel, with soft drinks being a significant etiological agent. The objective of this study was to measure early stages of enamel loss with high accuracy on native enamel surfaces combined with qualitative observations of changes in the surface morphology using the atomic force microscope (AFM). Native unerupted third molar surfaces were partly covered with a gold reference layer. Samples were imaged with the AFM before dissolution (at baseline) and after exposure to three different drinks (mineral water, a "toothkind" blackcurrant drink, and a lemon and lime juice drink) at five different exposure times (15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h). The changes in the surface morphology were investigated qualitatively as well as quantitatively. This study showed that the maximum material loss occurred at the aprismatic parts of the enamel close to the perikymata. The maximum enamel loss was greatest for the lemon and lime juice drink and lowest for water. A two-way ANOVA of the transformed data, employing the natural logarithm, showed a statistically significant difference between both the drinks and the exposure time at a 95% confidence level (P=0.000). This demonstrates that the AFM is a suitable tool for measuring early stages of enamel demineralization. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

原子力显微镜技术对生物样品的研究

评述了近几年原子力显微镜在生物样品中的应用情况。主要涉及利用原子力显微镜研究核酸,包括脱氧核糖核酸和核糖核酸、蛋白质、核酸与蛋白质复合物、细胞和病毒等5个方面的最新进展。     

导电原子力显微镜对蛋白质在分子水平上的电学表征

蛋白质电子传递的研究不仅对阐述生物能量传递具有重要的意义,而且有助于促进生物分子在分子电子器件中的应用．金属蛋白以其固有的电化学和电学特性,在光合作用和呼吸作用中起到重要作用．其中铜蓝蛋白具有良好的电化学性质和明确的分子结构,常常用作研究蛋白质电子传递的模型分子。很多具有微观尺度表征能力的分析仪器可用于研究表面吸附的蛋白质分子。     

The Adsorption of Dodecyltrimethylammonium Bromide on Mica in Aqueous Solution Studied by X-Ray Diffraction and Atomic Force Microscopy

The adsorption of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) onto natural muscovite mica and a synthetic expandable mica (EM) in aqueous solution has been investigated using both microscopic and macroscopic surface characterization techniques. The electrokinetic properties of the surfaces were monitored as a function of the concentration of DTAB using atomic force microscopy and microelectrophoresis. The adsorption isotherm of DTAB on EM was measured up to a solution concentration just below the critical micelle concentration of the surfactant. The thickness of the adsorbed layer on EM was determined using X-ray diffraction. Results indicate that the adsorbed layer consists of molecules lying quite flat on the mica surface at low concentrations and adsorbed in interleaved aggregate structures at concentrations approaching the critical micelle concentration of the surfactant in solution. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Direct Observation of Apatite Formation on Bioglass in Simulated Body Fluid by Atomic Force Microscopy

An in situ atomic force microscope (AFM) combined with surface potential measurement was used to observe the apatite formation on the 45S5 Bioglass-type glass in simulated body fluid (SBF). From the observation, it can be seen that small islands with 5-10 nm size are formed on the glass surface in the initial soaking period within 1 h.     

原子力显微镜的基本原理及应用

先进的测试表征技术是认识微观世界的重要手段，对于尺度和维度观的培养具有重要意义。不同于传统光学显微镜和电子显微镜，原子力显微镜是通过其探针原子与样品的表面原子的作用力来实现对样品表面形貌观测的。简述了原子力显微镜的基本原理和基本构造，阐释了其核心部件及功能。原子力显微镜主要有4种工作模式，比较了它们的优劣及应用范围。最后对原子力显微镜在分析测试中的实际应用进行了简述，展现了原子力显微镜的优越性与广阔的应用前景。     

电化学原子力显微镜的应用

评述了电化学原子力显微镜的原理和技术及其在现场电化学和电分析化学领域的应用,如观察电镀、腐蚀和防腐的过程,电化学沉积膜的形成和特点,测定两表面间的静电力等,指出其存在的一些缺陷,并对经过改造后的电化学原子力显微镜进行了综述。     

Study of Ultrafine Iron Powders by Atomic Force Microscopy

The particles of ultrafine iron powders obtained by three different methods (electrolytic deposition, reduction in hydrogen flow, and grinding in a planetary ball mill in heptane medium) were studied by the atomic force microscopy and the results were compared with the data of electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The shape and size of particles were determined from three-dimensional images obtained by atomic force microscopy, and the grain structure of the particle surface layer was studied by measuring the lateral friction forces.     

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy in Organic Chemistry

When Kekulé awoke from dreams of snakes biting their own tails, he didn't have the benefit of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) image to confirm that his vision of benzene as a cyclic molecule was accurate. References to STM in the chemical literature increase steadily, although the technique was perhaps oversold in its early days of the 1980s, with such promises as DNA sequencing and tailored bi-molecular chemical reactions (literally, two molecules). Publications alternate between attempting to explain the process by which images of traditional insulators are obtained and simply presenting the end images themselves as stunning views of atoms and molecules. While imaging mechanisms are still being debated, these instruments' ability to “see” single molecules has been established, albeit at the fringes of our expectations. For example, whereas STM studies at present might not be able to answer the question of why adsorption of CO doubles the density of platinum atoms on the surface of a single crystal of the metal, the images go far in illustrating that this is a process which platinum undergoes. As with any emerging analytical tool, these scanning, very localized microscopic methods are undergoing the growing pains of irreproducible results and mis-marketed artifacts. Nonetheless, we assemble here, primarily for the uninitiated, a collection of careful and credible studies to mark the progress of scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy into chemistry, and to encourage a healthy blend of idealism and skepticism toward future work.     

Atomic Force Microscopy of technological and biological samples

Summary Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been successfully used to characterize a variety of samples with different chemical composition. Polycrystalline sample preparation techniques, cleaving and careful adjustment of the imaging setup made it also possible to investigate materials with non-ideal geometry (small size, rough sample surface) down to the atomic scale. Pressed CaCO₃ powder samples of different origin have been imaged with atomic resolution. Multilayer systems of AlGaAs/GaAs and Si/GaAs on top of a GaAs substrate could be imaged readily. Single -layers of Si in GaAs could be resolved. The results demonstrate that simple sample preparation techniques and the implementation of chemical reactions can greatly enhance the analytical scope and applicability of AFM.     

Observation of Organic Thin Film Surface by Atomic Force Microscopy

The 8-hydroxyquinoline neodymium(Ndq3) organic thin films deposited on the cleaned indium/tin oxide (ITO) at different deposition rates with the same vacuity (133.3×10^-5 Pa) were revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Organic devices with one layer of Ndq3 as the e-type conductive material at different deposition rates sandwiched between ITO and aluminum electrodes have been fabricated. respectively. Evidence suggests that the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics were determined by the uniformity of organic film which was controlled by the deposition conditions.     

Mechanical Characterization of Micrometric Chitosan-Coated Vesicle by Atomic Force Microscopy

This article reports the main results obtained for the stabilization of DOPC liposomes by coating with chitosan. We investigated the compression between two planes of isolated GUV, combining force spectroscopy measurements with scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and epifluorescence microscopy observations. We obtained reproducible and reversible force-deformation curves for individual vesicles in the range of small deformation (relative deformation up to 0.3). Force-deformation curves were analyzed using a simple elastic model, which well describes the observed radius-dependency of the force response and allows determining the stretching modulus for bare vesicle and effective bending and stretching moduli for chitosan-coated membranes. Results first show that chitosan coating increases the effective stretching modulus of the lipid membranes, second, confirm that chitosan is adsorbed flat on the membrane, and finally lead us to assume that the chitosan coating structure can be regarded as a physical network of connected chitosan patches.     

原子力显微镜及其在电化学和电分析化学中的应用

本文评述了原子力显微镜原理和技术及其在现场电化学和电分析化学领域中的应用，并展望了扫描隧道显微镜和原子力显微镜在电化学和电分析化学中的发展方向。     

室温下Kelvin探针力显微镜分析离子液体的界面

研究离子液体阳离子和阴离子在界面的排列具有意义,因为它们能够影响离子液体在界面的表面结构和属性。作为一种扫描探针显微技术,Kelvin探针力显微镜（KPFM）在本文中被用于室温下离子液体界面性质的研究。离子液体氯化（1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑）（[Bmim]Cl）在本文中被用作研究对象。实验中,[Bmim]Cl被选择性地固定在亲液的化学修饰表面,形成超薄的固态吸附层和液滴。由于表面电势能够用于直接指示表面偶极子,因而对于检测分子的取向十分有用。利用KPFM获得的表面电势图表明[Bmim]Cl离子液体在气液界面（当离子液体以液滴形式存在）和气固界面（当离子液体以固态吸附层形式存在）呈现出不同的分子排列。我们的研究表明Kelvin探针力显微镜能够用于表征离子液体在界面的分子排列。