Practical Aspects of Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy in Liquids

Abstract

There has been a strong demand for the development of scanning probe techniques that can map the distribution of surface charge and surface potential at nanometer scale in liquid media. While electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) have routinely been used in vacuum and ambient conditions, they are not readily applicable in polar liquid media. In this chapter, we review the practical aspects of electrostatic and capacitive force detection in liquids and discuss the feasibility of measuring the surface charge or potential distribution in polar liquid media.