Observation and characterization of asphalt microstructure by atomic force microscopy

The microstructure of asphalt is investigated by atomic force microscopy （AFM）. In order to analyze the impacts of asphalt types on microstructures, two neat asphalts with different penetration grades （50# and 70#） and one styrene-butadiene-styrene （SBS） modified asphalt are chosen. The influence of short-term aging is also studied. Based on the knowledge of asphalt＇s microproperties, the relationship between microstructures and healing property is analyzed. The results indicate that the microstructures of three asphalts are quite different and the effects of aging on the surface characteristics for different asphalts are also different. It is proposed that the bee structure is a type of wax crystal and it has a close relationship with the ＂bridge-healing＂ mechanism. The findings may reveal the formation mechanism of microstructure and the healing property for asphalts.

Single DNA molecular manipulation with atomic force microscopy

Nanomanipulation of DNA molecules or other biomolecules to form artificial patterns or structures at nanometer scale has potential applications in the construction of molecular devices in future industries. It may also lead to new insights into the interesting properties and behavior of this fantastic nature-selected molecule at the sin- gle-molecular level. Here we present a special method based on the combination of macroscopic “molecular comb- ing” and microscopic “molecular cutting” to manipulate DNA molecules and form complex patterns at nanometer scale on solid surfaces. A possible strategy for ordered DNA sequencing based on this nanomanipulation technique has also been proposed.

Investigation of Adsorption of Xanthan Gum on Enamel by Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopy

By using tapping mode atomic force microscopy(TMAFM), a polymer layer was found on the enamel surface after the exposure to xanthan gum solutions. The layer thickness is closely related to the exposure time and the concentration of xanthan gum solution. The thickness data were evaluated by a Kruskal-Wallis test and Box-Whisker Plot at a 95% confidence level(p<0.05), and a statistically significant difference among the thickness data groups was demonstrated. After the exposure to 1000, 400, 100 mg/L xanthan gum solutions, the mean of layer thickness at the adsorption equilibrium is in the ranges of 103.5_122.06, 82.4_88.94 and 45.27_55.55 nm, respectively. This phenomenon suggests that the viscosity modifying agents in the beverage might be adsorbed on the enamel surface during consumption, which may form a barrier that can protect the enamel from being attacked by acid and therefore reduce dental erosion.

A Study of the Probe Effect on the Apparent Image of Biological Atomic Force Microscopy

The probe effect on the apparent image of biological atomic force microscopy was explored in this study, and the potential of AFM in conformational study of gene related biological processes was illustrated by the specific nanostructural information of a new antitumor drug binding to DNA.

Elucidation and Identification of Double-Tip Effects in Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of Biological Structures

While atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been increasingly applied to life science, artifactual measurements or images can occur during nanoscale analyses of cell components and biomolecules. Tip-sample convolution effect is the most common mechanism responsible for causing artifacts. Some deconvolution-based methods or algorithms have been developed to reconstruct the specimen surface or the tip geometry. Double-tip or double-probe effect can also induce artifactual images by a different mechanism from that of convolution effect. However, an objective method for identifying the double-tip/probe-induced artifactual images is still absent. To fill this important gap, we made use of our expertise of AFM to analyze artifactual double-tip images of cell structures and biomolecules, such as linear DNA, during AFM scanning and imaging. Mathematical models were then generated to elucidate the artifactual double-tip effects and images develop during AFM imaging of cell structures and biomolecules. Based on these models, computational formulas were created to measure and identify potential double-tip AFM images. Such formulas proved to be useful for identification of double-tip images of cell structures and DNA molecules. The present studies provide a useful methodology to evaluate double-tip effects and images. Our results can serve as a foundation to design computer-based automatic detection of double-tip AFM images during nanoscale measuring and imaging of biomolecules and even non-biological materials or structures, and then personal experience is not needed any longer to evaluate artifactual images induced by the double-tip/probe effect.

Monitoring film coalescence from aqueous polymeric dispersions using atomic force microscopy: Surface topographic and nano-adhesion studies

The aim of the investigation was to develop the use of topographic and nano-adhesion atomic force microscopy(AFM) studies as a means of monitoring the coalescence of latex particles within films produced from a pharmaceutically relevant aqueous dispersion(Eudragit~?NE30 D). Films were prepared via spin coating and analysed using AFM, initially via tapping mode for topographic assessment followed by force-distance measurements which allowed assessment of site-specific adhesion. The results showed that colloidal particles were clearly observed topographically in freshly prepared samples, with coalescence detected on curing via the disappearance of discernible surface features and a decrease in roughness indices. The effects of temperature and humidity on film curing were also studied, with the former having the most pronounced effect. AFM force measurements showed that the variation in adhesive force reduced with increasing curing time, suggesting a novel method of quantifying the rate of film formation upon curing. It was concluded that the AFM methods outlined in this study may be used as a means of qualitatively and quantitatively monitoring the curing of pharmaceutical films as a function of time and other variables, thereby facilitating rational design of curing protocols.

Atomic force microscopy study on microstructure of various ranks of coals

As a new technology, Atomil Force Microscopy （AFM） is being used in the research of microscopic structure on coal surface in recent years. By this technology, we can observe the nanoscale pore and crack shape of coal surface, and measure some structural parameters. Different metamorphic grades produce different feature of surface microscopic structure of coal. This paper analyzes the surface microscopic structure of different metamorphic grade coal by AFM. The results show that the coal surface microstructure has a trend from rough to smooth with the increasing of metamorphic grade. The low rank coals contain large or medium pores and the high rank coals contain micro pores. The values of surface morphology characteristic parameters （Sq and Sa） nonlinearly decrease with the increasing coal rank. That is, the coal surface becomes smoother during coalification.

Sulfonated polyetherketone (SPEK-C) films investigated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy

The characterization of sulfonated polyetherketone (SPEK-C) films was investigated by using positronannihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that free volume radiusand intensity depend on the variation of sulfonation degree and solvent evaporation time of the films. Pore size anddistribution determined from PALS and AFM measurements showed reasonable agreement.

Atomic force microscope study of WC-10Co cemented carbide sintered from nanocrystalline composite powders

In order to compare the spark plasma sintedng （SPS） process plus hot isostatic press （HIP） with vacuum sintedng plus HIP, an investigation was carried out on the topography, microstructure and gain size distribution of nanocrystalline WC-10Co composite powder and the sintered specimens prepared by SPS plus HIP and by vacuum sintering plus HIP by means of atomic force microscopy （AFM）. The mechanical properties of the sintered specimens were also investigated. It is very easy to find cobalt lakes in the specimen prepared by vacuum sintering plus HIP process. But the microstructure of the specimen prepared by SPS plus HIP is more homogeneous, and the grain size is smaller than that prepared by vacuum sintering plus HIP. The WC-10Co ultrafine cemented carbide consolidated by SPS plus HIP can reach a relative density of 99.4%, and the transverse rupture strength （TRS） is higher than 3540 MPa, the Rockwell A hardness （HRA） is higher than 92.8, the average grain size is smaller than 300 nm, and the WC-10Co ultrafine cemented carbide with excellent properties is achieved. The specimen prepared by SPS with HIP has better properties and microstructure than that prepared by vacuum sintering with HIP.

Nanomechanical Characterization of Bone Quality Depending on Tissue Age via Bimodal Atomic Force Microscopy

Characterization of bone quality during the healing process is crucial for successful implantation procedures and patient comfort.In this study,a bone implant specimen that underwent a 4-week healing period was investigated.Bimodal atomic force microscopy(AFM)was employed to simultaneously obtain the morphology and elastic modulus maps of the newly formed and pre-existing bone regions within the sample.Results indicate that the new bone matrix possessed lower miner-alization levels and presented larger,uneven mineral grains,exhibiting the attributes of a woven bone.On the other hand,the old bone matrix exhibited a more uniform and mineralized structure,which is characteristic of lamellar bones.The new bone had a lower overall elastic modulus than the old bone.Bimodal AFM further confrmed that the new bone displayed three regions comprising unmineralized,partially mineralized,and fully matured sections,which indicate a turbulent change in its composition.Meanwhile,the old bone exhibited two sections comprising partially mineralized and matured bone parts,which denote the fnal phase of mineralization.This study provides valuable insights into the morphological and nanome-chanical diferences between the old and new bone matrixes and presents a novel approach to investigate bone quality at diferent phases of the bone-healing process.

Dynamic friction energy dissipation and enhanced contrast in high frequency bimodal atomic force microscopy

Dynamic friction occurs not only between two contact objects sliding against each other,but also between two relative sliding surfaces several nanometres apart.Many emerging micro-and nano-mechanical systems that promise new applications in sensors or information technology may suffer or benefit from noncontact friction.Herein we demonstrate the distance-dependent friction energy dissipation between the tip and the heterogeneous polymers by the bimodal atomic force microscopy(AFM)method driving the second order flexural and the first order torsional vibration simultaneously.The pull-in problem caused by the attractive force is avoided,and the friction dissipation can be imaged near the surface.The friction dissipation coefficient concept is proposed and three different contact states are determined from phase and energy dissipation curves.Image contrast is enhanced in the intermediate setpoint region.The work offers an effective method for directly detecting the friction dissipation and high resolution images,which overcomes the disadvantages of existing methods such as contact mode AFM or other contact friction and wear measuring instruments.

Study on the specific interaction between angiogenin and aptamer by atomic force microscopy (AFM)

The specific interaction between angiogenin and aptamer has been investigated by using AFM. The specificity of the interaction is revealed by comparing the binding probability of aptamer to other ele- ments in a series of control experiments. The results have shown that there is specific interaction force between angiogenin and aptamer. Moreover, the single molecular pull-off force between angiogenin and aptamer has also been determined using the Poisson statistical method to be 133.7±11.7 pN. These findings obtained are helpful to the better revelation of recognition mechanism between angiogenin and aptamer, which provided basis for further understanding the inhibition of the aptamer to angio- genic activity.

Micro-Friction of Diazoresin/Polyacrylic Acid Self-Assembly Films in Water with Atomic Force Microscopy

Ultrathin films composed of diazoresin（DR）and polyacrylic acid（PAA）were fabricated.The surface morphology of the films in water was measured using an atomic force microscopy（AFM）.The self-assembly technique makes the surface rather flat and uniform.The friction force and its dependence on the velocity differ from the surface charge of the thin films.The friction force of repulsive DR/PAA film increases linearly with velocity and has lower values than that of attractive DR film over the full range of velocity.As the velocity increases,the attractive friction of DR film first decreases to a minimum at a velocity of 2 line/s and then increases all the way.When the surface is repulsive to the friction substrate,the friction of thin films that is determined by hydrated lubrication of polymer chains that is ultralubricated;when it is adhesive to the friction substrate,the friction is mainly contributed from the elastic deformation of adsorbed polymer chains in the low velocity region and from viscous sliding in the presence of hydrated-layer lubrication of the polymer chains in the higher velocity region.

Atomic force microscopic view of the fine topography on the tobacco stigma surface during its response to pollination

During compatible pollination in tobacco, an extracellular matrix (ECM) is secreted from the stigma surface; however, it is unknown whether the pattern of secretion across the stigma depends on the pollen source. In fact, technical limitations have prevented clear observation of ECM secretion. Here, we report the detailed topographic changes on the stigma surface that accompanies intraspecies and interspecies pollination in tobacco using contact mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our results, which show the dynamics and time course of ECM secretion after pollination, indicate that a certain pattern of secretion already exists on the stigma prior to pollination. Intraspecies induced a two-step response, characterized by topographical changes on the stigma surface several hours after pollina-tion, which was distinct from the pattern of ECM secretion induced by interspecies pollination. This difference was confirmed by root-mean-square analysis, which assessed the roughness of the stigma surface. Our findings indicate that compatible pollination not only induces ECM secretion from the stigma, but also results in a specific distribution of the ECM. Thus, this study demonstrates the pow-erful potential of AFM in studying the pollen-stigma interaction.

Microfluidic bacterial traps for simultaneous fluorescence and atomic force microscopy

The atomic force microscope has become an established research tool for imaging microorganisms with unprecedented resolution.However,its use in microbiology has been limited by the difficulty of proper bacterial immobilization.Here,we have developed a microfluidic device that solves the issue of bacterial immobilization for atomic force microscopy under physiological conditions.Our device is able to rapidly immobilize bacteria in well-defined positions and subsequently release the cells for quick sample exchange.The developed device also allows simultaneous fluorescence analysis to assess the bacterial viability during atomic force microscope imaging.We demonstrated the potential of our approach for the immobilization of rod-shaped Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.Using our device,we observed buffer-dependent morphological changes of the bacterial envelope mediated by the antimicrobial peptide CM15.Our approach to bacterial immobilization makes sample preparation much simpler and more reliable,thereby accelerating atomic force microscopy studies at the single-cell level.

Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy characterization of nickel deposition on bacterial cells

Recently bacterial cells have become attractive biological templates for the fabrication of metal nano- structures or nanomaterials due to their inherent small size, various standard geometrical shapes and abundant source. In this paper, nickel-coated bacterial cells (gram-negative bacteria of Escherichia coli) were fabricated via electroless chemical plating. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization results reveal evident morphological difference between bacterial cells before and after deposition with nickel. The bare cells with smooth surface presented transverse outspreading effect at mica surface. Great changes took place in surface roughness for those bacterial cells after metallization. A large number of nickel nanoparticles were observed to be equably distributed at bacterial surface after activation and subsequent metallization. Furthermore, ultra thin section analytic results validated the presence and uniformity of thin nickel coating at bacte- rial surface after metallization.

Investigation of Phase Behavior and Domain Structure of Phospholipid Monolayers by Atomic Force Microscopy

The study of phase behavior and domain structure of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers has been a subject of considerable interest since the 1970s.The phospholipid monolayers, in addition to their biological significance, are used as ideal systems suited for this study.At the air/water interface the phase states of phospholipid monolayers and phase transitions, such as the domain growth in the coexistence re-

Adsorption behavior of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to mica substrates as observed by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy is employed to study the adsorption behavior of CTAB to mica surfaces. Results show that conformational transitions from globular micelles→cylindrical micelles→flat films are observed in the process of the adsorption of CTAB to mica at twice the bulk critical concentration. However, in 0.5 cmc CTAB solution, the adsorbed CTAB molecules to mica form the layered film structures, and apparent conformational transitions do not appear. Meanwhile, the phenomena of the adsorption of CTAB to mica and the dissociation of mica sur- faces are periodically observed.

Single-Molecular Imaging of Anticoagulation Factor I from Snake Venom by Atomic Force Microscopy

Anticoagulation factor I (ACF I) from the venom of Agki^strodon acutus is a binding protein to activated coagulation factor X (FXa) and possesses marked anticoagulant activity. Single ACF I molecule has been successfully imaged in air by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) with high resolution using glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent. The physical adsorption and covalent binding of ACF I onto the mica show very different surface topographies. The former exhibits the characteristic strand like structure with much less reproducibility, the latter displays a elliptic granular structure with better reproducibility, which suggests that the stability of ACF I molecules on the mica is enhanced by covalent bonding in the presence of glutaraldehyde. A small scale AFM amplitude mode image clearly shows that the covalently bonded ACF I molecule by glutaraldehyde has olive shape structure with an average size of 7 4 nm×3 6 nm×3 1 nm, which is very similar to the size determined from the crystal structure of ACF I.

原子力红外显微镜(AFM-IR):成像原理及方法综述

综述了基于原子力显微镜的红外光谱(Atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy,AFM-IR)的特点,测量和检测原理及其技术优势。AFM-IR是能在纳米尺度对不同材料进行表征的新兴技术,该技术可以以远低于常规光学衍射极限的分辨率检测材料的化学成分,同时提供不同组分的分布图谱。AFM-IR的原理是利用原子力显微镜(AFM)悬臂梁的振动检测样本因吸收红外辐射脉冲产生的热膨胀,因此AFM-IR在继承了AFM的纳米级分辨率的基础上结合了红外光谱的化学分析能力,克服了二者原有的缺点并实现了优势互补。这项新技术在过去十多年备受关注并获得了长足的发展,因其操作简便、系统稳定、样品制备要求相对较低,以及与红外光谱直接相关而无需数学建模或额外数据后续处理,已被广泛用于材料科学、生命科学等诸多领域。