Atomic force microscopy in energetic materials research: A review

Abstract

Modern trends in the development of energetic materials include the various methods of particle surface modification and the widespread use of nanosized powders. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a useful, but often overlooked advanced tool for the investigation of surface, subsurface, and interface properties of energetic compounds. This review highlights the diverse applications of AFM, and provides the various methods of AFM to investigate energetic materials, along with sample preparation techniques. We show that AFM has not only the value for imaging the surface, but also the capability to manipulate and perform the real experiments at the nanoscale. It could be a mechanical stimulation of the crystal and observation of the surface changes after it, or the attachment of the energetic crystal to the tipless cantilever, which approaches the polymeric sample to derive the adhesion force between two materials. We anticipate that over time the AFM-based techniques will be used more and more actively in the research of energetic materials and will benefit our better understanding of the processes taking place at interfaces and surfaces of energetic compounds.