Use of Adhesive for the Retention of a Rough-Surfaced Particle on a Solid Support

In a study of the rate of dissolution in water of a single detergent granule, an unexpected experimental artefact was encountered. The granule, attached to a solid support by adhesive, was found on dissolution to leave behind a thin shell or skin. The formation of this residue can be attributed to the capillarity-induced spreading of the uncured adhesive over much of the granule surface due to its irregular surface morphology. No such effect was found with smooth, spherical particles of comparable size. This residue would be likely to modify the observed dissolution process.     

The Wetting Behavior of Spherical Particles in Narrow Retaining Vessels

The capillarity-driven ascent of liquid through certain elementary assemblies of equal spherical particles held in a neutrally wetted container is considered and the conditions for liquid to flow are established. For flow through the assembly to be possible, critical contact angles of the liquid on the spheres must not be exceeded. These critical angles are considerably lower than the 90° which the Washburn equation predicts. Finally, the effect of sphere size disparity (or polydispersity) is considered in an Appendix. It is shown that wetting of the assembly may be controlled by manipulation of size distributions as well as by change in the contact angle. Experimental evidence in support of these ideas is presented for a two-dimensional array.     

Nanoscale Wetting of Single Viruses

The epidemic spread of many viral infections is mediated by the environmental conditions and influenced by the ambient humidity. Single virus particles have been mainly visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in liquid conditions, where the effect of the relative humidity on virus topography and surface cannot be systematically assessed. In this work, we employed multi-frequency AFM, simultaneously with standard topography imaging, to study the nanoscale wetting of individual Tobacco Mosaic virions (TMV) from ambient relative humidity to water condensation (RH > 100%). We recorded amplitude and phase vs. distance curves (APD curves) on top of single virions at various RH and converted them into force vs. distance curves. The high sensitivity of multifrequency AFM to visualize condensed water and sub-micrometer droplets, filling gaps between individual TMV particles at RH > 100%, is demonstrated. Dynamic force spectroscopy allows detecting a thin water layer of thickness ~1 nm, adsorbed on the outer surface of single TMV particles at RH < 60%.     

Observation of adhesive force and energy of adsorbents on rubber substrates by atomic force microscopy

We observed the surface morphology and adhesive interaction of adsorbents on rubber substrates by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The detachment of adsorbents from rubber substrates is an important issue for various machines like home appliances and laundry machine. Since a clean surface of the functioning parts is required, a frequent cleaning process must be developed. In particular, dust and lint have a tendency to bind to the rubber surface of a laundry machine. Several practical methods have been attempted to remove these particles from the surface. Pure water, detergent, sodium hypochlorite (65 °C), and cold water (18 °C) are treated onto artificial dust and lint mixtures on rubber with water fluid by rapid rpm. The dust‐and‐lint adsorbents are investigated by AFM after the treatment, and topographic images and force–distance (F–D) curves were generated for the samples. The roughness, measured as the root mean square, is a key factor to judge the cleaning quality. From the F–D curves, we are able to obtain adhesive energy in addition to adhesive force which will yield qualitative measures of the interactions between the remaining adsorbents and the rubber surface. Considering the values that were measured, hot water with water fluid by rapid rpm offers the best performance when cleaning the surface. The chemical like sodium hypochlorite is good for thinning the materials, but it solidifies them, which is eventually detrimental to proper functioning. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于原子力显微镜的单分子力谱在生物研究中的应用

原子力显微镜被广泛应用于生物研究领域,基于原子力显微镜的单分子力谱可以在单分子、单细胞水平上研究生物分子内和分子间的相互作用。 本文介绍了原子力显微镜单分子力谱在生物分子间相互作用、蛋白质去折叠、细胞表面生物分子、细胞力学性质和基于单分子力谱成像等研究中的最新进展。     

Long‐Range Hydrophilic Attraction between Water and Polyelectrolyte Surfaces in Oil

The outstanding water wettability and the capability of polyelectrolyte surfaces to spontaneously clean oil fouling are determined by their wetting mechanism in the surrounding medium. Here, we have quantified the nanomechanics between three types of polyelectrolyte surfaces (i.e. zwitterionic, cationic, and anionic) and water or oil drops using an atomic force microscope (AFM) drop probe technique, and elucidated the intrinsic wetting mechanisms of the polyelectrolyte surfaces in oil and water media. The measured forces between oil drops and polyelectrolyte surfaces in water can be described by the Derjaguin‐Landau‐Verwey‐Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Surprisingly, strong long‐range attraction was discovered between polyelectrolyte surfaces and water drops in oil, and the strongest interaction was measured for the polyzwitterion. This unexpected long‐range “hydrophilic” attraction in oil could be attributed to a strong dipolar interaction because of the large dipole moment of the polyelectrolytes. Our results provide new nanomechanical insights into the development of novel polyelectrolyte‐based materials and coatings for a wide range of engineering, bioengineering, and environmental applications.     

Sublimation and Diffusion Kinetics of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) Single Crystals by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

In this article, we report the in-situ nanoscale experimental measurement of sublimation rates, activation energy of sublimation, and diffusion coefficients of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) single crystals in air using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The crystals were prepared by slow evaporation at 5 °C using acetone-dissolved TNT. The mass loss was calculated by monitoring the shrinkage of the surface area of layered islands formed on the surface of the TNT crystals due to sublimation upon isothermal heating at temperatures below the melting point. The results suggest the sublimation process occurs via two-dimensional detachment of TNT molecules from the non-prominent facets on the crystal surface which imitates the nucleation and crystal growth process. Sublimation rates are one order of magnitude smaller than previously reported values. However, the calculated activation energy (112.15 ± 3.2 kJ/mol) and temperature-dependent sublimation rates agree well with the reported values for TNT thin films and microcrystals determined by UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy and quartz crystal microscopy (QCM) (90–141 kJ/mol). The average diffusion coefficient is (4.35 × 10^–6 m²/s) which is within the range of the reported theoretical values with an average of 5.59 × 10^–6 m²/s, and about 25% less than that determined using thermogravimetric analysis for powder TNT.     

基于原子力显微镜的高分子单分子力学研究

原子力显微镜(AFM)从根本上改变了人们对单个原子和分子的作用和认识方式。单分子力谱是基于原子力显微镜力的测量方法。概速了近年来利用基于原子力显微镜的单分子力谱研究单个高分子分子内及分子闻作用力的进展。     

微电极上单核沉积的现场电化学原子力显微镜研究

用现场电化学原子力显微镜（ＥＣＡＦＭ）观察玻碳微电极上银单核电化学成核与生长的不同阶段的行为,结果表明银单核在玻碳边缘生成以（１００）面择优的晶粒,证实了成核过程强烈地信赖于玻碳棋底的状态,有成核历史的基底沉积多核,经特殊方法“清洗”的基底沉积单核,本工作首次把ＥＣＡＦＭ应用于微电极系统的研究,对微是极上的单核生长进行实时观察;同非现场测量进行比较,演示一种轩单晶微电极的可行方法。     

Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy of cellulose from Micrasterias denticulata; evidence for a chiral helical microfibril twist

Atomic force microscopy (AFM), tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to image the cell wall, ultrathin sections of whole cells and cellulose microfibrils prepared from the green alga Micrasterias denticulata. Measurements of the microfibril dimensions are in agreement with earlier observations carried out by electron microscopy. Images at the molecular level of the surface of the microfibrils were obtained with AFM and show regular periodicities along the microfibril axis that correspond to the fibre and glucose repeat distances of cellulose. Twisted regions visible at intervals along the microfibrils dried down onto substrates were noted to be right-handed in over 100 observations by TEM, AFM and TM-AFM. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High-Yield Characterization of Single Molecule Interactions with DeepTipTM Atomic Force Microscopy Probes

Single molecule interactions between biotin and streptavidin were characterized with functionalized DeepTip^TM probes and used as a model system to develop a comprehensive methodology for the high-yield identification and analysis of single molecular events. The procedure comprises the covalent binding of the target molecule to a surface and of the sensing molecule to the DeepTip^TM probe, so that the interaction between both chemical species can be characterized by obtaining force–displacement curves in an atomic force microscope. It is shown that molecular resolution is consistently attained with a percentage of successful events higher than 90% of the total number of recorded curves, and a very low level of unspecific interactions. The combination of both features is a clear indication of the robustness and versatility of the proposed methodology.     

Atomic force microscopy as a tool for binder identification in ancient photographic processes

Focusing in the photographic archive of Julián Carrillo (México), a microstructural analysis of surface photography was carried on to prove the feasibility of atomic force microscopy to identify the binder used in the manufactured ancient photography. It has been identified 2 structural groups in which known binders may be classified, one of them is associated with gelatin and the other one to albumen and collodion. The former group present a higher roughness values than the second one, being able to identify the binder by means of its morphology aspect related with the width of linear traces. From the obtained results, it has been observed that atomic force microscopy is a very good technique to properly identify the binder used in a photograph according to the surface morphology and roughness values.     

Elasticity of Single Poly(amido amine) Dendrimers

An atomic force microscope in the compression mode was used to probe the nanomechanical response of single dendrimeric molecules, as well as dendrimer aggregates adsorbed on silicon surface. The force‐compression behaviour of individual, generation 5 poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers was described by a Hertzian model for the deformation of elastic bodies. The modulus values obtained ranged between 700 MPa (single dendrimers) and 150 MPa (dendrimer aggregates).

     

Investigating the Dynamic Viscoelasticity of Single Polymer Chains using Atomic Force Microscopy

In single‐molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS), many studies have focused on the elasticity and conformation of polymer chains, but little attention has been devoted to the dynamic properties of single polymer chains. In this study, we measured the energy dissipation and elastic properties of single polystyrene (PS) chains in toluene, methanol, and N,N‐dimethylformamide using a homemade piezo‐control and data acquisition system externally coupled to a commercial atomic force microscope (AFM), which provided more accurate information regarding the dynamic properties of the PS chains. We quantitatively measured the chain length‐dependent changes in the stiffness and viscosity of a single chain using a phenomenological model consistent with the theory of viscoelasticity for polymer chains in dilute solution. The effective viscosity of a polymer chain can be determined using the Kirkwood model, which is independent of the intrinsic viscosity of the solvent and dependent on the interaction between the polymer and solvent. The results indicated that the viscosity of a single PS chain is dominated by the interaction between the polymer and solvent. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 1736–1743     

单晶硅片负极界面形貌的原位AFM探测

利用原子力显微镜原位研究单晶硅片负极在首次充放电循环中的界面形貌变化。硅负极表面固体电解质界面(SEI)膜的形成过程为：初始SEI膜从1.5 V开始形成,在1.25–1.0 V之间生长快速,0.6 V左右生长缓慢。初始SEI膜具有层状结构的特征,表层薄膜较软,下层呈颗粒状,机械稳定性较好。在锂化电位下,硅负极表面的单晶结构逐渐变得颗粒化,发生不可逆的结构变化。经过首个充放电循环后,硅负极表面被厚度不均一的SEI膜所覆盖,SEI膜的厚度大约为10–40 nm。     

Study of hydration layers near a hydrophilic surface in water through AFM imaging

In this work, a hydrophilic silica plate exposed in air, and immersed in an aqueous solution was studied through atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging in contact‐ and tapping‐mode operations. It was experimentally found that the tapping‐mode AFM images of the silica surface were different when it was immersed in an aqueous solution from those when it was exposed in air. The former showed fewer topographic features. However, the contact‐mode AFM images of the silica surface were almost uninfluenced by the medium in which the surface was placed. This phenomenon might be attributed to the existence of hydration layers near the silica surface in the aqueous solution. The layers are like a large sheet on the surface that hides the details, so that an AFM tip in the tapping mode can read only the hydration layer and therefore image only the rough outline of the surface. This result might suggest the existence of hydration layers near a hydrophilic surface immersed in water. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.