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Surface imaging of thermally sensitive particulate and fibrous materials with the atomic force microscope: a novel sample preparation method
Author(s) -
BALDWIN P. M.,
FRAZIER R. A.,
ADLER J.,
GLASBEY T. O.,
KEANE M. P.,
ROBERTS C. J.,
TENDLER S. J. B.,
DAVIES M. C.,
MELIA C. D.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1996.tb00001.x
Subject(s) - materials science , cyanoacrylate , sample preparation , particulates , nanotechnology , sample (material) , particle (ecology) , atomic force microscopy , composite material , chemistry , adhesive , chromatography , organic chemistry , oceanography , layer (electronics) , geology
Summary High‐resolution surface imaging by atomic force microscopy (AFM) of particulate materials is often problematic, principally as a result of the large height (z) variations in sample topography that either prevent the probe scanning over the particle or cause probe self‐imaging. This paper reports a novel method of embedding thermally sensitive particulate and fibrous materials which overcomes many of these problems and facilitates AFM imaging of these difficult materials. The process involves partial embedding of the sample in a cyanoacrylate film polymerized at room temperature. The sample heating required in currently used methods of particulate embedding is avoided and the method is therefore suitable for thermolabile materials. The cyanoacrylate film provides a flat hard surface which is ideal for AFM imaging, and the method has allowed successful imaging of relatively large particulate and fibrous samples such as starch granules and cellulose fibres. The cyanoacrylate has the added benefit that shrinkage holes in the film allow easy visual identification of areas where the film may have partially covered the sample.