The Atomic Force Microsope (AFM) (Agilent 5500) allows us to image surfaces at the nanoscale. Students used the AFM in Chemical Measurements (CHM 480) to examine coating on nanoparticles. In addition, the AFM has been used by several research students to investigate the formation of polymer nanostructures (formed on our Langmuir trough), leading to a publication in Langmuir, an American Chemical Society peer-reviewed journal.
The instrument also has a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) module that allows us to “see atoms” and experimentally witness electron tunneling.
The AFM/STM were purchased through a Major Research Instrumentation grant from the National Science Foundation (DMR 0959373).
