TappingMode AFM Imaging in Fluids for the Study of Colloidal Particle Adsorption

The ability to image solid surfaces in a liquid medium makes atomic force microscopy (AFM) an attractive tool in the study of liquid-solid interfacial phenomena. One such area of research where AFM has proven useful is in the study of small particles and biological molecules that adsorb from an aqueous liquid onto a solid surface. AFM provides magnifications great enough to resolve single, deep sub-micrometer particles at the surface, while the presence of the liquid keeps the adsorbed particles in their native, hydrated states. For these reasons, AFM is being widely used in the study of adsorption of colloidal particles, including polymer latexes, mineral colloids, and protein molecules.