碳纳米管探针对小鼠IgG蛋白的纳米表征

碳纳米管探针是原子力显微镜新一代探针,在柔软生物样品的微观形貌表征领域有重要的应用价值.研究和分析了碳纳米管原子力显微镜探针和普通硅探针对小鼠IgG蛋白形貌的表征能力.通过原子力显微镜实验对比研究发现,普通硅探针容易对IgG蛋白产生显著的压痕,而碳纳米管探针具有良好的柔韧性,能显著减小成像时对柔软的生物样品的损伤.硅探针与样品间存在较大的毛细力,会降低探针的分辨率;由于碳纳米管疏水,纳米管探针能显著减小毛细力的影响,能高分辨率地检测IgG蛋白,充分发挥纳米管探针的高分辨率优势.     

品质因数调控技术提高AFM横向分辨力的研究

液体中轻敲模式下微悬臂梁的低品质因数会限制原子力显微镜的力灵敏度和成像分辨率，品质因数调控技术可以提高品质因数．在分析品质因数调控技术机理的基础上，分别在一般轻敲模式下和有品质因数调控电路支持的轻敲模式下，利用琼脂糖凝胶作为样品，测得力曲线．分析比较这2种情况下的曲线，表明在无品质因数调控时，微悬臂梁的驱动信号的振幅是恒定的，而在有品质因数调控时，微悬臂梁驱动电压随着针尖样品间距的减小而衰减，从而导致针尖一样品间的相互作用力减小，横向分辨力提高．为了验证该分析结果，检测了液体中的蛋白质分子．在有品质因数调控时，很容易获得清晰的蛋白质分子图像，由此证明了上述结论．     

新型光纤探针的研制与应用

采用熔拉与腐蚀相结合的方法，制作出了能用于近场探测的新型光纤探针。该制作方法不需要复杂的仪器设备，具有费用低廉、重复性好等优点。镀金膜的直锥型光纤探针首次用于扫描隧道显微镜，由于针尖的曲率半径比铂铱针更小，因此可获得更精细的信息，并可提高图像的分辨率。弯曲型光纤探针固定于特别设计的支架后，可作为悬臂探针用于原子力显微镜和近场光学显微镜。最后讨论了针尖的不同形状及不同镀膜对实验结果的影响。     

导电原子力显微镜在介质薄膜电流图像检测中产生的假像

对导电原子力显微镜在介质层电流图像检测中存在的假像进行了研究。发现这种假像归因于导电探针针尖较大的直径,其大小与被检测样品表面的缺陷点、漏洞、沟穴大小相关。研究表明,为提高图像分辨率,避免检测过程中存在的假像,需要使用具有纳米直径针尖的超尖导电探针。     

碳纳米管操纵中的微观摩擦问题

为了充分掌握纳米操纵中的微观摩擦规律,消除微观摩擦对纳米操纵的不利影响,该文利用原子力显微镜(AFM)的超微探针作为操纵工具,对具有优异力学和电学特性的碳纳米管在不同的表面状况下进行了剪切和操纵。实验中发现,当基底的表面成分和表面形貌不同的时候,操纵过程中的微观摩擦力会有明显的变化。从与光刻技术相结合的操纵实验中可以看出,光刻后残留的光刻胶会大大增加碳纳米管与基底间的微观摩擦力,并加剧操纵工具——AFM针尖的污染与磨损。     

用AFM对质粒DNA在云母表面的自组装研究

通过原子力显微镜(AFM)对在云母表面上自然挥干的不同质量浓度的质粒DNA分子进行扫描，原子力显微镜图像显示：当质量浓度为0．1μg／mL时，DNA分子呈现出线性结构，随着质量浓度加大至1μg／mL，DNA分子相互缠绕为网状结构，质量浓度为10μg/mL时，呈现出具有典型的聚合形态，当质量浓度进一步加大到100μg／mL，则呈现出明显的树状脉络结构．通过原子力显微镜对质粒DNA分子的形态表征，可以看出质粒DNA分子具有典型的自组装的特性．     

原子力显微镜针尖与样品间的材料转移

研究氮化硅针尖在十八烷基三甲氧基硅烷 (OTE) /云母表面的修饰过程。使用原子力 /摩擦力显微镜 ,以云母作为参考样品 ,研究了针尖在样品表面的修饰效应和修饰后针尖的清洁过程 ,并考察了湿度和载荷对针尖修饰效应的影响。修饰过程不是一个渐进的过程 ,在最初几次摩擦扫描中修饰较快 ,然后在 10～ 2 0次扫描后达到平衡态。在 OTE/云母表面修饰后的针尖在云母表面的摩擦力信号比修饰前针尖在云母表面的摩擦力信号小 ,并且大部分吸附在针尖表面的 OTE分子在云母表面的前 10次扫描中就被磨掉。相对湿度对针尖的修饰效应影响不大。在研究不同样品的摩擦性能时 ,尽量使用清洁针尖 ,并使用摩擦性能稳定的参考样品 (如云母 )来检测针尖的表面状态     

原子力显微镜成像及力谱在生物研究中的应用

原子力显微镜自发明迄今,已被应用于生物研究的各个领域,展示了其广泛的应用前景。本文将主要结合我们及其他研究小组的工作,简要介绍原子力显微镜成像和力谱技术的基本原理,较系统地综述其在生物研究中的应用。所涵盖的生物分子包括核酸、蛋白质、磷脂、多糖、细胞/细菌以及病毒等。最后探讨和展望了该领域的广阔发展前景。     

AFM对壳聚糖富集银离子的分形学研究

利用原子力显微镜(AFM)对壳聚糖吸附银离子进行研究，从形貌学的角度探测壳聚糖络合银离子的机理特性．主要方法是将溶液滴加在新解离的云母片上，应用原子力显微镜对自然风干后的样品在非接触模式下成像．AFM图像显示：壳聚糖分子和加过金属银离子的壳聚糖分子在聚集生长过程呈现为传统的具有分形特征的正态分布和奇异分布；由单一的壳聚糖分子形成的分形结构为“星”形结构，而加过银离子的壳聚糖分子形成的结构为“圆”形．产生这些图形差别的根本原因是由于生长界面的表面张力及其各向异性起了重要作用．这两种结构都具有典型的自相似性，且实验结果与计算机模拟的分形模式拟合得很好．     

原子力显微镜在膜技术中的应用

在简要介绍原子力显微镜(AFM)的工作原理和特点的基础上,详细阐述了原子力显微镜在三维形貌观测、膜的表面粗糙度、膜的透过通量、成分分析、成膜机理研究和膜表面污染程度等方面的应用,进一步比较原子力显微镜与其他显微分析技术的不同.原子力显微镜在膜技术方面显示了强大的应用能力,由此推动膜技术的迅猛发展.同时,AFM存在一些不足,对于组成复杂的薄膜,不能获得深层次的结构和化学分析.因此,AFM需要研发更多新的分子探针,以实现对薄膜多种组分的识别和成像.     

组装碳纳米管扫描隧道显微镜针尖

探索了用高频交变电场电泳辅助钨针尖粘碳管来组装CNT针尖的有效方法,比较得出实验的最佳参数。用该方法制作的CNT针尖用于扫描隧道显微镜(STM),得到了高定向石墨表面的阶梯像。     

Height measurement of DNA molecules with lift mode AFM

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to im-age and study the local properties of the sample surfacethrough tip/sample interactions. There are three operationmodes: contact mode, non-contact mode and tappingmode. Mostly, the measured heights of dsDNA were only0.7—0.8 nm[1—8] in air by tapping mode atomic force mi-croscopy (TMAFM), which were much less than the gen-erally accepted diameter of 2.0—2.2 nm[9]. In TMAFM, stable imaging is available when the tip is closer to sample surf…     

Reversible electromechanical characteristics of carbon nanotubes under local-probe manipulation

The effects of mechanical deformation on the electrical properties of carbon nanotubes are of interest given the practical potential of nanotubes in electromechanical devices, and they have been studied using both theoretical and experimental approaches. One recent experiment used the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) to manipulate multi-walled nanotubes, revealing that changes in the sample resistance were small unless the nanotubes fractured or the metal-tube contacts were perturbed. But it remains unclear how mechanical deformation affects the intrinsic electrical properties of nanotubes. Here we report an experimental and theoretical elucidation of the electromechanical characteristics of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) under local-probe manipulation. We use AFM tips to deflect suspended SWNTs reversibly, without changing the contact resistance; in situ electrical measurements reveal that the conductance of an SWNT sample can be reduced by two orders of magnitude when deformed by an AFM tip. Our tight-binding simulations indicate that this effect is owing to the formation of local sp3 bonds caused by the mechanical pushing action of the tip.     

基于聚焦离子束铣削的复杂微纳结构制备

聚焦离子束铣削是一种灵活且高精度的微加工方法,探索通过聚焦离子来铣削进行复杂微纳米结构的加工过程．通过聚焦离子束铣削加工,利用灰度值精确控制离子柬加工时间,实现闪耀光栅以及正弦结构等复杂微纳结构的加工过程同时,利用聚焦离子束对原子力显微镜纳米管探针的长度进行高精度调控,其长度控制精度可以小于50nm．聚焦离子柬铣削技术为制备在各种科学工程领域应用的多种复杂微结构提供了有效途径．     

碳纳米管阴极场致发射的电场数值模拟

利用Visual FORTRAN语言,对碳纳米管阴极的外电势分布和电场强度分布进行了数值模拟．采用非等间距的网格划分对碳纳米管尖端附近进行细致的划分处理,并利用等参有限元方法进行了模拟计算．分析了碳纳米管尖端局部电场强度的增强效应和相邻碳纳米管之间的电场屏蔽现象．讨论了碳纳米管电场强度随管间距变化的关系以及碳纳米管尖端电场强度随半径变化的关系。     

Aligning DNA on Si surface and cutting off by tips of atomic force microscope

DNA is a kind of promising molecule as nano-lead to build or connect nano-devices due to its stable linear structure and certain conductivity. Many methods have been applied to constructing nano-patterns by using DNA molecule. In this report it is presented that λ-DNA was aligned on Si substrate by using the free-flowing method and then imaged by an atomic force microscope (AFM). After the second liquid flow, a catenary-like pattern and a crossed network of λ-DNA were formed. In addition, the aligned λ-DNA was successfully cut off by tips of AFM.     

Electrical generation and absorption of phonons in carbon nanotubes

The interplay between discrete vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom directly influences the chemical and physical properties of molecular systems. This coupling is typically studied through optical methods such as fluorescence, absorption and Raman spectroscopy. Molecular electronic devices provide new opportunities for exploring vibration-electronic interactions at the single molecule level. For example, electrons injected from a scanning tunnelling microscope tip into a metal can excite vibrational excitations of a molecule situated in the gap between tip and metal. Here we show how current directly injected into a freely suspended individual single-wall carbon nanotube can be used to excite, detect and control a specific vibrational mode of the molecule. Electrons tunnelling inelastically into the nanotube cause a non-equilibrium occupation of the radial breathing mode, leading to both stimulated emission and absorption of phonons by successive electron tunnelling events. We exploit this effect to measure a phonon lifetime of the order of 10 ns, corresponding to a quality factor of well over 10,000 for this nanomechanical oscillator.     

二维、三维模型碳纳米管场发射场强计算的比较研究

在计算碳纳米管场发射显示器中电场强度时,为了提高计算效率,许多资料将三维空间的场发射简化为二维模型进行计算,为了比较分析使用二维模型和三维模型计算结果的差异,建立了二维模型单根碳纳米管、三维模型单根碳纳米管和单碳纳米墙3个模型,应用Ansoft Maxwell有限元数值仿真软件进行了仿真,计算结果表明:二维碳纳米管场发射模型的仿真结果代表的三维空间实际情况为碳纳米墙场发射,而不是真正的三维空间碳纳米管场发射。对于单根碳纳米管,用二维模型计算的碳纳米管尖端电场强度仅为三维空间碳纳米管尖端电场强度的1／4。     

Research progress in quantifying the mechanical properties of single living cells using atomic force microscopy

The advent of atomic force microscopy （AFM） provides a powerful tool for investigating the behaviors of single living cells under near physiological conditions. Besides acquiring the images of cellular ultra-microstruc- tures with nanometer resolution, the most remarkable advances are achieved on the use of AFM indenting tech- nique to quantify the mechanical properties of single living ceils. By indenting single living cells with AFM tip, we can obtain the mechanical properties of cells and monitor their dynamic changes during the biological processes （e.g., after the stimulation of drugs）. AFM indentation-based mechan- ical analysis of single cells provides a novel approach to characterize the behaviors of cells from the perspective of biomechanics, considerably complementing the traditional biological experimental methods. Now, AFM indentation technique has been widely used in the life sciences, yielding a large amount of novel information that is meaningful to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that govern the cellular biological functions. Here, based on the authors＇ own researches on AFM measurement of cellular mechani- cal properties, the principle and method of AFM indentationtechnique was presented, the recent progress of measuring the cellular mechanical properties using AFM was summa- rized, and the challenges of AFM single-cell nanomechani- cal analysis were discussed.