Applications of atomic-force microscopy in environmental colloid and surface chemistry

Abstract

Abstract Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful technique for imaging mineral surfaces in air or immersed in solution and at sub-nanometer-scale resolution. As the technique continues to develop, AFM is emerging as an important means not only for imaging the surface structure and microtopography of environmental particles, but also for determining changes in microtopography over the course of dissolution, growth, sorption, heterogeneous nucleation, and redox reactions. Additionally, AFM can provide a direct means of probing the structure of the double layer. As AFM use continues to proliferate, there is an increasing need for critical evaluation of image acquisition and processing techniques. This manuscript reviews the “state of the art” in force microscopy with regard to theoretical considerations, technological advances, and current and potential applications. Some common artifacts are discussed, with the purpose both of preventing new users from re-making old mistakes and of enabling non-users to evaluate AFM results. Finally, examples of applications in colloid and surface chemistry are used to illustrate the potential of AFM for providing new insight into a wide range of environmental processes.