All material objects have surfaces that define a boundary that is the end point of one material and the start of another. Often, the properties of the surface are different from those of the bulk, and the surface plays a strong role in determining the physical and chemical properties of the solid. This becomes increasingly important as we reduce the size of our material objects to the nano-scale.
The defining characteristic of a surface analysis technique is that it is sensitive only to the atoms at the surface of a material and not to those inside the bulk. Surface analysis plays a major role in the investigation of materials at the nanoscale and is therefore a key component of the research conducted at the LCN.
Research Poster PDFs
Atomic force microscopy
High-resolution atomic force microscopy by tracking the resonance frequency of small cantilevers in liquid
High Resolution Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy of Single Biomolecules
Structural Transitions in a Model Hydrophobic Boundary Layer under Water
Click below for a list of all LCN Researchers & Research Highlights associated with:
SURFACE ANALYSIS
Figure: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) topography images of a low surface coverage of type I collagen monomers on mica substrate. [courtesy Laurent Bozec]