Role Of Atomic Force Microscopy Research Articles

The Role of Atomic Force Microscopy in the Study of the Properties of the Erythrocyte Membrane

The Role of Atomic Force Microscopy in the Study of the Properties of the Erythrocyte Membrane

Application of atomic force microscopy in investigations of dental alloy surfaces

Introduction. The aim of this informative paper is to show the importance and key role of atomic force microscopy, on one hand, in quantitative determination of the physicochemical changes on the surfaces of dental materials due to their exposure to acids and, on the other hand, in quantification of changes in the physicochemical properties of the surfaces of dental alloys after their processing and the consequences of the processing itself on the quality and applicability of the same. Methods. Atomic force microscopy was used to obtain data quantitatively describing nanoscale changes in Co-Cr dental alloys caused by exposure to formic acid over a 7-day period and to describe the effects of electropolishing and black brush polishing on the surface roughness of dental alloys. Results. Analysis of the topography and roughness of the surfaces of alloys treated with a black brush and electropolishing shows that both methods are applicable in dentistry and leave defects of insufficient size for microorganisms. Treatment of the studied alloys with formic acid leads to an increase in surface roughness, indicating the presence of corrosion processes, especially in the areas of interdentritic nanocrystals. Conclusion. The aforementioned effects of processing and treatment of Co-Cr alloys can be followed in great detail using the technique of atomic force microscopy, especially by analysing the surface topography and its roughness. The method is of extraordinary importance for the evaluation of the use of Co-Cr alloys in dentistry.

Nanometrology of Biomass for Bioenergy: The Role of Atomic Force Microscopy and Spectroscopy in Plant Cell Characterization

Ethanol production using extracted cellulose from plant cell walls (PCW) is a very promising 4 approach to biofuel production. However, efficient throughput has been hindered by the pheno5 menon of recalcitrance, leading to high costs for the lignocellulosic conversion. To overcome 6 recalcitrance, it is necessary to understand the chemical and structural properties of the plant 7 biological materials, which have evolved to generate the strong and cohesive features observed 8 in plants. Therefore, tools and methods that allow the investigation of how the different molecular 9 components of PCW are organized and distributed and how this impacts the mechanical proper10 ties of the plants are needed but challenging due to the molecular and morphological complexity 11 of PCW. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), capitalizing on the interfacial nanomechanical forces, 12 encompasses a suite of measurement modalities for nondestructive material characterization. 13 Here, we present a review focused on the utilization of AFM for imaging and determination of 14 physical properties of plant-based specimens. The presented review encompasses the AFM 15 derived techniques for topography imaging (AM-AFM), mechanical properties (QFM), and sur16 face/subsurface (MSAFM, HPFM) chemical composition imaging. In particular, the motivation and 17 utility of force microscopy of plant cell walls from the early fundamental investigations to achieve 18 a better understanding of the cell wall architecture, to the recent studies for the sake of advancing 19 the biofuel research are discussed. An example of delignification protocol is described and the 20 changes in morphology, chemical composition and mechanical properties and their correlation at 21 the nanometer scale along the process are illustrated.

ChemInform Abstract: New Opportunities in Crystal Engineering — The Role of Atomic Force Microscopy in Studies of Molecular Crystals

AbstractReview: studies on polymorphs of Roy; 117 refs.

New opportunities in crystal engineering – the role of atomic force microscopy in studies of molecular crystals

Here, we highlight recent research involving atomic force microscopy investigations of molecular crystals, and focus particularly on the latest relevant advances in our knowledge of crystal-growth mechanisms and structure-property relationships in organic crystals. This brief survey features the importance of incorporating AFM into solid-state research as an essential tool for the informed design and construction of crystalline materials.

Potential role of atomic force microscopy in systems biology

Systems biology is a quantitative approach for understanding a biological system at its global level through systematic perturbation and integrated analysis of all its components. Simultaneous acquisition of information data sets pertaining to the system components (e.g., genome, proteome) is essential to implement this approach. There are limitations to such an approach in measuring gene expression levels and accounting for all proteins in the system. The success of genomic studies is critically dependent on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for its amplification, but PCR is very uneven in amplifying the samples, ineffective in scarce samples and unreliable in low copy number transcripts. On the other hand, lack of amplifying techniques for proteins critically limits their identification to only a small fraction of high concentration proteins. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), AFM cantilever sensors, and AFM force spectroscopy in particular, could address these issues directly. In this article, we reviewed and assessed their potential role in systems biology.

The Role of Atomic Force Microscopy in Nanoparticle Research

The Role of Atomic Force Microscopy in Nanoparticle Research

Crystallization kinetics in ferroelectric thin films: Viability of atomic force microscopy

The pyrochlore to perovskite phase transformation was studied in lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films. The films were fabricated on platinum electrodes and annealed by rapid thermal processing (RTP). The phases which formed and their location in the film were analyzed using glancing angle XRD and depth profiling was demonstrated. Grain size and structure, nucleation sites and surface morphology were determined with transmission electron microscop (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The role of AFM in this type of transformation study was assessed.The PZT films crystallized with a (100) orientation which was preferentially nucleated at the platinum/film interface. RTP at 650°C for 15 s was sufficient to complete the transformation. However, columnar grain growth and improvements in the ferroelectric properties were obtained with increased RTP time. A PZT film with RTP at 650°C for 1 min possessed a remanent polarization of 25 μC/cm2 and a dielectric constant of ϵ = 650.