Atomic Force Microscopy Techniques Research Articles

Reversible rearrangement of the cellular cytoskeleton: A key to the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of novel amphiphilic polymers.

The battle against emerging viral infections has been uneven, as there is currently no broad-spectrum drug available to contain the spread of novel pathogens throughout the population. Consequently, the pandemic outbreak that occurred in early 2020 laid bare the almost empty state of the pandemic box. Therefore, the development of novel treatments with broad specificity has become a paramount concern in this post-pandemic era. Here, we propose copolymers of poly (sodium 2-(acrylamido)-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate) (PAMPS) and poly (sodium 11-(acrylamido)undecanoate (AaU), both block (PAMPS75-b-PAaUn) and random (P(AMPSm-co-AaUn)) that show efficacy against a broad range of alpha and betacoronaviruses. Owing to their intricate architecture, these polymers exhibit a highly distinctive mode of action, modulating nano-mechanical properties of cells and thereby influencing viral replication. Through the employment of confocal and atomic force microscopy techniques, we discerned perturbations in actin and vimentin filaments, which correlated with modification of cellular elasticity and reduction of glycocalyx layer. Intriguingly, this process was reversible upon polymer removal from the cells. To ascertain the applicability of our findings, we assessed the efficacy and underlying mechanism of the inhibitors using fully differentiated human airway epithelial cultures, wherein near-complete abrogation of viral replication was documented. Given their mode of action, these polymers can be classified as biologically active nanomaterials that exploit a highly conserved molecular target-cellular plasticity-proffering the potential for truly broad-spectrum activity while concurrently for drug resistance development is minimal.

Investigating the surface roughness of calamine brass in incremental sheet metal forming

Incremental sheet metal forming (ISMF) is an emerging metal sheet forming technique. ISMF does not require any special/dedicated dies for shaping the metal sheet into a desired part. The forming technique is an alternative for customized part generation, prototype making, and low-volume product manufacturing. The experimental investigation is focused on finding the significance of process parameters on the average surface roughness of the ISMF part. Limited process parameters were taken that majorly influenced the ISMF. Calamine brass (Cu67Zn33) is preferred for home alliance and grocery items because of its sustainability and corrosion-resistant properties therefore thin sheets of it were taken as worksheets. The surface roughness of the formed part was measured through atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique. Statistical analysis confirmed that the step-down size, feed rate of the tool, wall angle, and the thickness of metal sheet whose P-values were 0.013, 0.052, 0.030, and 0.036 respectively were significant for average surface roughness. Their contribution was calculated as 76.71%, 0.025%, 13.67% and 0.89% respectively.

A novel approach to measuring local mechanical properties via photothermal excitation of an atomic force microscope probe using an optical pump–probe inspired design

Obtaining and improving measurements of mechanical properties at the nanoscale has been made possible through the continuous advancement of atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques over the past several decades. Among these advancements include implementing multifunctional AFM probes and developing new detection schemes that enable sensitivity to local mechanical properties. In this work, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept for a detection scheme that enables a standard AFM configuration to produce qualitative local mechanical property maps through the use of an optical pump–probe scheme, alleviating a common requirement of incorporating additional piezoelectric actuators. Data from this work are presented for silicon carbide and epitaxially grown graphene on silicon carbide. Through preliminary analysis of resonant frequency maps acquired through dual-frequency resonance tracking, the local stiffness and elastic modulus can be estimated at each point. This work contributes to the field of scanning probe microscopy by providing a new opportunity for AFM systems that are not currently equipped for a mechanical mode to obtain local mechanical property data.

Identification the Role of Grain Boundaries in Polycrystalline Photovoltaics via Advanced Atomic Force Microscope.

Atomicforce microscopy (AFM)-based scanning probing techniques, including Kelvinprobe force microscopy (KPFM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM), have been widely applied to investigate thelocal electromagnetic, physical, or molecular characteristics of functional materials on a microscopic scale. The microscopic inhomogeneities of the electronic properties of polycrystalline photovoltaic materials can be examined by these advanced AFM techniques, which bridge the local properties of materials to overall device performance and guide the optimization of the photovoltaic devices. In this review, the critical roles of local optoelectronic heterogeneities, especially at grain interiors (GIs) and grain boundaries (GBs) of polycrystalline photovoltaic materials, including versatile polycrystalline silicon, inorganic compound materials, and emerging halide perovskites, studied by KPFM and C-AFM, are systematically identified. How the band alignment and electrical properties of GIs and GBs affect the carrier transport behavior are discussed from the respective of photovoltaic research. Further exploiting the potential of such AFM-based techniques upon a summary of their up-to-date applications in polycrystalline photovoltaic materials is beneficial to acomprehensive understanding of the design and manipulation principles of thenovel solar cells and facilitating the development of the next-generation photovoltaics and optoelectronics.

Bioactivity and Mechanical Properties of Hydroxyapatite on Ti6Al4V and Si(100) Surfaces by Pulsed Laser Deposition

In this study, the effects of substrate temperature and ablation wavelength/mechanism on the structural, mechanical, and bioactivity properties of hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings were investigated. HA coatings were deposited on both Si(100) and Ti6Al4V surfaces. Substrate temperature varied from room temperature to 800 °C. Depositions were performed in Ar/H2O and vacuum environments. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy techniques were used to analyze structural and morphological variations. The adherence of coatings to the substrates was assessed by the pull-out method. The obtained data indicated that with the temperature increase, the coatings steadily crystallized. However, temperatures above 700 °C adversely affected protein adsorption and adhesion properties. Similar trends were confirmed via pull-out testing, protein adsorption, and cell proliferation tests. The ablation mechanism was also proven to play an important role in the deposition process. Overall, this study provides further evidence that crystallinity is a vital factor in the functionality of the coatings and depends on the deposition conditions. However, all measurements directly indicated that beyond 700 °C, the morpho-structural, mechanical, and bioactivity properties degrade.

Atomic Force Microscopy of Phytosterol Based Edible Oleogels.

This work reviews the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a tool to investigate oleogels of edible triglyceride oils. Specific attention is given to those oleogels based on phytosterols and their esters, a class of material the authors have studied extensively. This work consists of a summary of the role of AFM in imaging edible oleogels, including the processing and preparation steps required to obtain high-quality AFM images of them. Finally, there is a comparison between AFM and other techniques that may be used to obtain structural information from oleogel samples. The aim of this review is to provide a useful introduction and summary of the technique for researchers in the fields of gels and food sciences looking to perform AFM measurements on edible oleogels.

Quantification Characterization of Hierarchical Structure of Polyurethane by Advanced AFM and X-ray Techniques.

Polyurethane (PU) with microphase separation has garnered significant attention due to its highly designable molecular structure and a wide range of adjustable properties. However, there is currently a lack of systematic approaches for quantifying PU's microphase separation. To address this research gap, we utilized an atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanomechanical mapping technique along with Gaussian fitting to recolor and quantitatively analyze the evolution of PU's microphase separation. By varying the ratios of the chain extender to cross-linking agent, we observed the changes in the hydrogen bonding between the soft and hard segments. As the ratio of the chain extender to cross-linking agent decreases, the strength of the hydrogen bonding weakens, resulting in a reduction in the quantity and phase percentage of hard segment (HS) domains. Consequently, the degree of microphase separation between the soft and hard segments decreases, leading to specific alterations in the material's mechanical properties and dynamic viscoelasticity. To further investigate the hierarchical structure of PU, we employed various techniques, such as X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and AFM-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR). Our findings reveal a spherulite pattern composed of lamellae within the HS domains, with the cross-linking density gradually increasing from the center to the periphery. Overall, our comprehensive characterization of PU provides valuable insights into its hierarchical structure and establishes a quantitative framework to explore the intricate relationship between the structure and properties.

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of silicon-based solar cell through optimization of Ga-doped ZnO layer

In the present study, the impact of deposition pressure and substrate temperature of Ga-doped Zinc Oxide (GZO) thin film and the photovoltaic performance of this structure as a transparent conductive oxide (TCE) layer in silicon-based solar cell were investigated. Implementing a single target of GZO, the structural, optical, and electrical properties of 350 nm thick GZO thin films with various deposition pressure (5 mTorr, 10 mTorr, 15 mTorr and 20 mTorr) at room temperature (RT) and substrate temperature (RT, 150 °C, 200 °C, 250 °C) at 15 mTorr deposition pressure were fabricated using RF magnetron sputtering technique. The aim here was to find out the GZO films with the optimum pressure and substrate temperature to incorporate them into solar cell as a TCE layer. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques were used to determine the structural properties of all samples. The optical transmission measurements were performed using spectroscopic Ellipsometer and the band gap values were calculated by Tauc plot using optical transmission data. In addition, the electrical characterization of the GZO samples were analyzed by the Van der Pauw method and Hall measurements. Finally, the most promising GZO thin film was determined based on the structural and optoelectrical characterization. The findings indicated that the XRD pattern of all the prepared films was dominated by (002) preferential orientation irrespective of the deposition pressure and substrate temperature. The AFM measurements showed that all the samples had a dense surface morphology regardless of the deposition pressures, but the surface morphology of the samples was clearly changed upon increasing substrate temperatures. The transmission values of the film did not significantly alter (∼82%) when the deposition pressures except for the substrate temperature of 200 °C (86%) were changed. The band gap values were calculated between 3.30 eV and 3.36 eV, which can be associated with enhancement of crystalline quality of the films. The lowest resistivity and the highest carrier concentration values belonged to the film fabricated at 15 mTorr@200 °C by 2.0 × 10−3 Ω.cm and 1.6 × 1020 cm−3, respectively. Both increasing the deposition pressure (up to 15 mTorr) and substrate temperature (up to 200 °C) contributes to improving the crystallite size, widening the optical band gap, lowering the resistivity, and increasing the carrier concentration. In order to evaluate and compare the effect of both deposition pressure and substrate temperature, Silicon-based solar cells were fabricated using the most promising layers (15 mTorr@RT, 15 mTorr@200 °C). The cell performance with the GZO thin film as a TCE layer showed that varying both the pressure and substrate temperature of the GZO film contributed to enhancing the solar cell parameters. Thus, the conversion efficiency increased from 9.24% to 12.6% with the sequential optimization of pressure and temperature. It can be concluded that the pressure applied during the deposition and substrate temperature had a significant impact on the properties of GZO thin films and its photovoltaic performance of solar cell used as TCE layer.

Preparation of Hybrid Films Based in Aluminum 8-Hydroxyquinoline as Organic Semiconductor for Photoconductor Applications.

In the present work, we have investigated an organic semiconductor based on tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (AlQ3) doped with tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), which can be used as an organic photoconductor. DFT calculations were carried out to optimize the structure of semiconductor species and to obtain related constants in order to compare experimental and theoretical results. Subsequently, AlQ3-TCNQ films with polypyrrole (Ppy) matrix were fabricated, and they were morphologically and mechanically characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Atomic Force Microscopy techniques. The maximum stress for the film is 8.66 MPa, and the Knoop hardness is 0.0311. The optical behavior of the film was also analyzed, and the optical properties were found to exhibit two indirect transitions at 2.58 and 3.06 eV. Additionally, photoluminescence measurements were carried out and the film showed an intense visible emission in the visible region. Finally, a photoconductor was fabricated and electrically characterized. Applying a cubic spline approximation to fit cubic polynomials to the J-V curves, the ohmic to SCLC transition voltage VON and the trap-filled-limit voltage VTFL for the device were obtained. Then, the free carrier density and trap density for the device were approximated to n0=4.4586×10191m3 and Nt=3.1333×10311m3, respectively.

Processing of PtSe2 ultra-thin layers using Ar plasma

This paper contains a detailed analysis of the Ar plasma treatment dynamics of the PtSe2/Al2O3 system comprising ultrathin PtSe2 layers with a thickness of 1–3 monomolecular layers. The impact of the etching process on the physical properties of the ultrathin PtSe2 layers was analysed using Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy techniques in time intervals up to the complete decomposition of the PtSe2 layers. The processing duration that allowed the complete removal of the PtSe2 layer was determined for the investigated systems. The results, in combination with the optimised photolithography, were used for the active PtSe2 channel formation in the 3 ML PtSe2-based transfer line measurement structure using electrodes consisting of Ni and Au layers (with thicknesses of 20 and 40 nm, respectively). The electrical properties of the fabricated system confirm the effectiveness of commercially available PtSe2/Al2O3 samples in the fabrication of simple electronic devices utilising planar architecture, i.e. micro- and nanosensors.

Three-Dimensional Pore Structure Characterization of Bituminous Coal and Its Relationship with Adsorption Capacity.

Bituminous coal reservoirs exhibit pronounced heterogeneity, which significantly impedes the production capacity of coalbed methane. Therefore, obtaining a thorough comprehension of the pore characteristics of bituminous coal reservoirs is essential for understanding the dynamic interaction between gas and coal, as well as ensuring the safety and efficiency of coal mine production. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the pore structure and surface roughness of six bituminous coal samples (1.19% < Ro,max < 2.55%) using various atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Firstly, we compared the microscopic morphology obtained through low-pressure nitrogen gas adsorption (LP-N2-GA) and AFM. It was observed that LP-N2-GA provides a comprehensive depiction of various pore structures, whereas AFM only allows the observation of V-shaped and wedge-shaped pores. Subsequently, the pore structure analysis of the coal samples was performed using Threshold and Chen's algorithms at ×200 and ×4000 magnifications. Our findings indicate that Chen's algorithm enables the observation of a greater number of pores compared to the Threshold algorithm. Moreover, the porosity obtained through the 3D algorithm is more accurate and closely aligns with the results from LP-N2-GA analysis. Regarding the effect of magnification, it was found that ×4000 magnification yielded a higher number of pores compared to ×200 magnification. The roughness values (Rq and Ra) obtained at ×200 magnification were 5-14 times greater than those at ×4000 magnification. Interestingly, despite the differences in magnification, the difference in porosity between ×200 and ×4000 was not significant. Furthermore, when comparing the results with the HP-CH4-GA experiment, it was observed that an increase in Ra and Rq values positively influenced gas adsorption, while an increase in Rsk and Rku values had an unfavorable effect on gas adsorption. This suggests that surface roughness plays a crucial role in gas adsorption behavior. Overall, the findings highlight the significant influence of different methods on the evaluation of pore structure. The 3D algorithm and ×4000 magnification provide a more accurate description of the pore structure. Additionally, the variation in 3D surface roughness was found to be related to coal rank and had a notable effect on gas adsorption.

Combining atomic force microscopy and fluorescence-based techniques to explore mechanical properties of naive and ischemia-affected brain regions in mice

Knowledge of the brain’s structure and function is essential for understanding processes in health and disease. Histochemical and fluorescence-based techniques have proven beneficial in characterizing brain regions and cellular compositions in pre-clinical research. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been introduced for mechanical tissue characterization, which may also help investigate pathophysiological aspects in disease-related models such as stroke. While combining AFM and fluorescence-based techniques, this study explored the mechanical properties of naive and ischemic brain regions in mice. Ischemia-affected regions were identified by the green signal of fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated albumin. A semi-automated protocol based on a brain atlas allowed regional allocations to the neocortex, striatum, thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and fiber tracts. Although AFM led to varying measurements, intra-individual analyses indicated a gradually increased tissue stiffness in the neocortex compared to subcortical areas, i.e., the striatum and fiber tracts. Regions affected by ischemia predominantly exhibited an increased tissue stiffness compared to those of the contra-lateral hemisphere, which might be related to cellular swelling. This study indicated intra-individual differences in mechanical properties among naive and ischemia-affected brain regions. The combination of AFM, semi-automated regional allocations, and fluorescence-based techniques thus qualifies for mechanical characterizations of the healthy and disease-affected brain in pre-clinical research.

Influence of Chemical Cleaning Procedures and Thermal Oxidation Processes on the Uniformity of MOS Gate Oxides on Abrupt Steps on Silicon Surfaces

This work analyzes the influence of some chemical steps used in standard cleaning recipes on the surface micro-roughness of silicon wafers. The effect of varying the ammonium hydroxide concentration in the NH4OH: H2O2:H2O solution was studied and silicon wafer micro-roughness was characterized by atomic force microscopy technique at different scans of 1µmx1µm. Based on the results, it was possible to point the condition to obtain low surface micro-roughness for NH4OH-based solutions with the lowest NH4OH content before the growth of gate oxides. Following, it silicon-oxide thin films were grown onto periodic rectangular shapes, 100 nm in height, obtained by localized plasma etching on silicon wafer surfaces. Silicon oxides (SiO2), about 4.5 nm thick, were grown in ultrapure dry-O2 or pyrogenic (O2 + H2) environments in order to compare the planar uniformity and the grade of coverage at the step edges of rectangular shapes defined onto silicon surfaces. Pyrogenic and conventional oxidation at 850 oC allowed one to obtain gate oxides on 100 nm-stepped silicon surfaces with high dielectric breakdown field (&gt;10 MV/cm), good planar uniformity and conformal coverage at the step edges. The impact of this result is now the feasibility of fabricating good-quality gate oxides for surrounding gate transistors (SGT’s) and texturized MOS solar cells.

The adenine-modified edible chitosan films containing choline chloride and citric acid mixture

A series of biopolymeric chitosan-based (Ch) films were prepared with choline chloride and citric acid plasticizer (deep eutectic solvent, DES). An effect of adenine (A, vitamin B4) addition on the functional properties of these films was evaluated. Several physicochemical and mechanical properties were tested: Fourier-transformed infrared spectra proved DES's plasticizing and crosslinking effect, while scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy techniques confirmed the possible phase separation after adenine addition. These changes affected the mechanical characteristics and the water vapor and oxygen permeability. The prepared materials are not water soluble because the CA acts as a crosslinker. The adenine addition on antioxidative and antimicrobial properties was also checked. It was found that Ch-DES materials with A exhibit improved antioxidative properties (55.8–66.1% of H2O2 scavenging activity) in contrast to the pristine chitosan-DES material (51.1% of H2O2 scavenging activity), while the material is still non-mutagenic (lack of growth of Salmonella typhimurium) and possesses antimicrobial features (no E. coli observed for all the tested films and inhibition zones noted for S. aureus). The mentioned properties, reduced oxygen transmission (1.6–2.1 g m−2 h−1), and mechanical characteristics within the range of typical food packaging plastics proved the potential of Ch-DES-A films in the packaging sector. Moreover, the antioxidative properties, usage of substrates being allowed as food additives, and the presence of adenine create the advantage of the Ch-DES-A materials as edible coatings, being also a source of Vitamin B4.

The green synthesis of nanoparticles using Costus pictus leaf extract blended with paint and its potential applications

Nanoparticles are important due to their unique properties that may lead to new and exciting applications. Green synthesis has many advantages amongst physical and chemical methods of nanoparticle synthesis since the method is simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. This research work describes the synthesis of carbon nanoparticles using leaf extract of Costus pictus and the characterization studies were carried out by Fourier Transform Infra-Red and Ultra Violet-Visible spectrophotometry. Incorporation of the nanoparticles of Costus pictus leaf extract into the paint formulation increases the corrosion protection properties. The inhibitive effects were investigated using weight loss, polarization, and impedance studies. The surface analysis techniques of Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscopy were used to investigate the morphology study. Findings show that synthetic nanoparticles mixed with paint function as more effective and thermally stable agents, serving as an alternative environmentally acceptable anticorrosion addition for cleaning and pickling processes in industries.

Improving optical and morphological properties of Mn-doped ZnO via Ar ion sputtering followed by high-temperature UHV annealing

Abstract Using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique, pure (ZnO) and manganese (4at%)-doped zinc oxide (ZnMnO) thin films were synthesized and treated with Ar+ sputtering in the UHV (ultra-high vacuum) system. In this regard, XRD (X-ray diffraction), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), PL (photoluminescence), and AFM (atomic force microscopy) techniques were applied to investigate the electronic and photonic properties of ZnO. XRD and XPS allowed us to identify the successful incorporation of Mn as a substitute for Zn, while PL and AFM images reveal a high tendency for crystalline grains on theZnMnO surface to aggregate to form small grains. However, bandgap narrowing, a redshift with considerable fluctuations in excitonic emission, and a perfect quenching of visible emission (400–640 nm) were observed. Investigations into defect-related emission in ZnMnO and ZnO compounds were conducted. The PL spectra of the prepared samples were measured and analyzed using Gaussian fitting. The PL of undoped ZnOexhibited an intense broad band with a peak at 550 nm. Two effects were shown to occur as a result of Mn doping: (i) a sharp quenching of self-activated PL with a progressive red-shift of the quenching’s spectral boundary; (ii) the appearance of a new emission band with a peak at 1.64 eV (756 nm), which dominates the PL spectrum and is noted in a band diagram; as well as a slight shift in the main line of ZnO, which is located at energy 3.275 eV (378.57nm).

Ionic Liquid‐Mediated Scanning Probe Electro‐Oxidative Lithography as a Novel Tool for Engineering Functional Oxide Micro‐ and Nano‐Architectures

AbstractFunctional oxides have extensively been investigated as a promising class of materials in a broad range of innovative applications. Harnessing the novel properties of functional oxides in micro‐ to nano‐scale applications hinges on establishing advanced fabrication and manufacturing techniques able to synthesize these materials in an accurate and reliable manner. Oxidative scanning probe lithography (o‐SPL), an atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique based on anodic oxidation at the water meniscus formed at the tip/substrate contact, not only combines the advantages of both “top‐down” and “bottom‐up” fabrication approaches, but also offers the possibility of fabricating oxide nanomaterials with high patterning accuracy. While the use of self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) broadened the application of o‐SPL, significant challenges have emerged owing to the relatively limited number of SAM/solid surface combinations that can be employed for o‐SPL, which constrains the ability to control the chemistry and structure of oxides formed by o‐SPL. In this work, a new o‐SPL technique that utilizes room‐temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) as the functionalizing material to mediate the electrochemistry at AFM tip/substrate contacts is reported. The results show that the new IL‐mediated o‐SPL (IL‐o‐SPL) approach allows sub‐100 nm oxide features to be patterned on a model solid surface, namely steel, with an initiation voltage as low as −2 V. Moreover, this approach enables high tunability of both the chemical state and morphology of the patterned iron oxide structures. Owing to the high chemical compatibility of ILs, which derives from the possibility of synthesizing ILs able to adsorb on a wide variety of solid surfaces, IL‐o‐SPL can be extended to other material surfaces and provide the opportunity to accurately tailor the chemistry, morphology, and electronic properties within nanoscale domains, thus opening new pathways to the development of novel micro‐ and nano‐architectures for advanced integrated devices.

Influences of processing conditions on gradient structures in injection‐molded polyethylene caps and their property correlations

AbstractIn this study, the influences of processing conditions, that is, injection speed and holding pressure, on the gradient crystal structural formation in the injection‐molded cap specimens were investigated. Skin‐, shear‐ and core‐layers across the specimen thickness were investigated in detail by using small‐angle x‐ray scattering, wide‐angle x‐ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy techniques. The results showed that high holding pressure caused high density and large weight of the cap specimens. This strongly contributed to high displacement resistant on applied pressure (doming resistant), while the lamellar thickness (Lc) of the skin layer also played a role. On the contrary, low holding pressure promoted the formation of the random‐oriented lamellae in the core layer, which contributed to high environmental cracking resistance (ESCR). Moreover, the lower injection speed caused the thicker Lc of the skin layer, and this improved the ESCR of the specimen. The results allowed us to propose its failure mechanism.

Biocidal and antibiofilm activities of arginine-based surfactants against Candida isolates.

Amino-acid-based surfactants are a group of compounds that resemble natural amphiphiles and thus are expected to have a low impact on the environment, owing to either the mode of surfactant production or its means of disposal. Within this context, arginine-based tensioactives have gained particular interest, since their cationic nature-in combination with their amphiphilic character-enables them to act as broad-spectrum biocides. This capability is based mainly on their interactive affinity for the microbial envelope that alters the latter's structure and ultimately its function. In the work reported here, we investigated the efficiency of Nα-benzoyl arginine decyl- and dodecylamide against Candida spp. to further our understanding of the antifungal mechanism involved. For the assays, both a Candida albicans and a Candida tropicalis clinical isolates along with a C. albicans-collection strain were used as references. As expected, both arginine-based compounds proved to be effective against the strains tested through inhibiting both the planktonic and the sessile growth. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy techniques and lipid monolayer experiments enabled us to gain insight into the effect of the surfactant on the cellular envelope. The results demonstrated that all the yeasts treated exhibited changes in their exomorphologic structure, with respect to alterations in both roughness and stiffness, relative to the nontreated ones. This finding-in addition to the amphiphiles' proven ability to insert themselves within this model fungal membrane-could explain the changes in the yeast-membrane permeability that could be linked to viability loss and mixed-vesicle release.

Structural, Magnetic, and Magneto-Optical Properties of Thin Films of BaM Hexaferrite Grown by Laser Molecular Beam Epitaxy.

Thin films of BaM hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) were grown on α-Al2O3(0001) substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy. Structural, magnetic, and magneto-optical properties were studied using medium-energy ion scattering, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, magneto-optical spectroscopy, and magnetometric techniques, and the dynamics of magnetization by ferromagnetic resonance method. It was shown that even a short time annealing drastically changes the structural and magnetic properties of films. Only annealed films demonstrate magnetic hysteresis loops in PMOKE and VSM experiments. The shape of hysteresis loops depends on thickness of films showing practically rectangular loops and high value of remnant magnetization (Mr/Ms~99%) for thin films (50 nm) and much broader and sloped loops in thick (350-500 nm) films. The magnitude of magnetization 4πMs ≈ 4.3 kG in thin films corresponds to that in bulk BaM hexaferrite. Photon energy and sign of bands in magneto-optical spectra of thin films correspond to ones observed earlier in bulk samples and films of BaM hexaferrite. FMR spectra of 50 nm films at 50 GHz consist of a number of narrow lines. The width of main line ΔH~20 Oe is lower than has been reported up to now.