Imaging three-dimensional surface objects with submolecular resolution by atomic force microscopy
Language English Country United States Media print-electronic
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PubMed
25756297
DOI
10.1021/nl504182w
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- Keywords
- Noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM), high-resolution imaging, submolecular resolution, three-dimensional dynamic force spectroscopy,
- MeSH
- Equipment Failure Analysis MeSH
- Equipment Design MeSH
- Fullerenes chemistry MeSH
- Crystallography methods MeSH
- Microscopy, Atomic Force instrumentation MeSH
- Molecular Conformation MeSH
- Molecular Probe Techniques instrumentation MeSH
- Molecular Imaging instrumentation MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Sensitivity and Specificity MeSH
- Image Enhancement instrumentation MeSH
- Imaging, Three-Dimensional instrumentation MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- fullerene C60 MeSH Browser
- Fullerenes MeSH
Submolecular imaging by atomic force microscopy (AFM) has recently been established as a stunning technique to reveal the chemical structure of unknown molecules, to characterize intramolecular charge distributions and bond ordering, as well as to study chemical transformations and intermolecular interactions. So far, most of these feats were achieved on planar molecular systems because high-resolution imaging of three-dimensional (3D) surface structures with AFM remains challenging. Here we present a method for high-resolution imaging of nonplanar molecules and 3D surface systems using AFM with silicon cantilevers as force sensors. We demonstrate this method by resolving the step-edges of the (101) anatase surface at the atomic scale by simultaneously visualizing the structure of a pentacene molecule together with the atomic positions of the substrate and by resolving the contour and probe-surface force field on a C60 molecule with intramolecular resolution. The method reported here holds substantial promise for the study of 3D surface systems such as nanotubes, clusters, nanoparticles, polymers, and biomolecules using AFM with high resolution.
§JST PRESTO 4 1 8 Honcho Kawaguchi Saitama 332 0012 Japan
†National Institute for Materials Science 1 2 1 Sengen 305 0047 Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan
‡International Center for Young Scientists NIMS 1 2 1 Sengen 305 0047 Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan
References provided by Crossref.org
Nitrous oxide as an effective AFM tip functionalization: a comparative study
Mapping the electrostatic force field of single molecules from high-resolution scanning probe images
Chemical structure imaging of a single molecule by atomic force microscopy at room temperature