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Some of the challenges of adapting high-voltage amplifier (HVA) designs and solutions for driving highly capacitive loads such as piezoelectric actuators (PEAs) fast include cost, implementation complexity, management of thermal load, and difficult customization. In this work, we develop an easy to implement HVA with 525 kHz small signal bandwidth, 6 A pp , and 110 V pp HVA using a low-cost high voltage operational amplifier (HV-OPA) and a self-biasing power amplifier (PA). At 100 kHz, the phase lag is about -24 ∘ and the HVA can be configured for use with or without the PA stage to prioritize input tracking and output noise reduction or output stability improvement. When used to drive our custom high-speed atomic force microscope (HS-AFM) Z-scanner during imaging, compared to a conventional commercial HVA, our custom HVA is able to track topographical features at faster scan speeds.

This review critically summarizes the recent advances of the microcantilever-based force sensors for atomic force microscope (AFM) applications. They are one the most common mechanical spring–mass systems and are extremely sensitive to changes in the resonant frequency, thus finding numerous applications especially for molecular sensing. Specifically, we comment on the latest progress in research on the deflection detection systems, fabrication, coating and functionalization of the microcantilevers and their application as bio- and chemical sensors. A trend on the recent breakthroughs on the study of biological samples using high-speed atomic force microscope is also reported in this review.

There is a huge interest in developing superrepellent surfaces for antifouling and heat-transfer applications. To characterize the wetting properties of such surfaces, the most common approach is to place a millimetric-sized droplet and measure its contact angles. The adhesion and friction forces can then be inferred indirectly using Furmidge’s relation. While easy to implement, contact angle measurements are semiquantitative and cannot resolve wetting variations on a surface. Here, we attach a micrometric-sized droplet to an atomic force microscope cantilever to directly measure adhesion and friction forces with nanonewton force resolutions. We spatially map the micrometer-scale wetting properties of superhydrophobic surfaces and observe the time-resolved pinning–depinning dynamics as the droplet detaches from or moves across the surface.

Graphite as a positive electrode material of dual ion batteries (DIBs) has attracted tremendous attentions for its advantages including low lost, high working voltage and high energy density. However, very few literatures regarding to the real-time observation of anion intercalation behavior and surface evolution of graphite in DIBs have been reported. Herein, we use in situ atomic force microscope (AFM) to directly observe the intercalation/de-intercalation processes of PF 6 − in graphite in real time. First, by measuring the change in the distance between graphene layers during intercalation, we found that PF 6 − intercalates in one of every three graphite layers and the intercalation speed is measured to be 2 µm·min −1 . Second, graphite will wrinkle and suffer structural damages at high voltages, along with severe electrolyte decomposition on the surface. These findings provide useful information for further optimizing the capacity and the stability of graphite anode in DIBs.

A high-speed atomic force microscope (HS-AFM) requires a specialized set of hardware and software and therefore improving video-rate HS-AFMs for general applications is an ongoing process. To improve the imaging rate of an AFM, all components have to be carefully redesigned since the slowest component determines the overall bandwidth of the instrument. In this work, we present a design of a compact HS-AFM scan-head featuring minimal loading on the Z-scanner. Using a custom-programmed controller and a high-speed lateral scanner, we demonstrate its working by obtaining topographic images of Blu-ray disk data tracks in contact- and tapping-modes. Images acquired using a contact-mode cantilever with a natural frequency of 60 kHz in constant deflection mode show good tracking of topography at 400 Hz. In constant height mode, tracking of topography is demonstrated at rates up to 1.9 kHz for the scan size of 1μm×1μm with 100×100 pixels.

While nanoscale nipple arrays are expected to reduce light reflection and/or dust contamination in some insects, similar structures have been reported in various marine invertebrates. To evaluate the anti-contamination property of the structure in aquatic regimes, we measured the adsorption and adhesion forces on the flat surface and MOSMITE™ (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), a synthetic material mimicking the nipple array, under water. A small force toward the surface occurred when the probe approached the substrate surface. This adsorption force was significantly smaller on MOSMITE™ than on the flat surface. The adhesion force toward the surface occurred when the probe was detached from the surface, and it was also significantly smaller on MOSMITE™ than on the flat surface. The adhesion force in the air was much greater than the force under water, and the force was also significantly smaller on MOSMITE™ than on the flat surface. In the aquatic regime, the nipple array provides less adsorption/adhesion properties for the surface and thus, the organisms would have less contamination of microparticles on their body surface. As the adsorption and adhesion forces are also involved in the attachment of cells, tissue, and larvae, less adhesive body surfaces should be beneficial for survival in aquatic environments, as well as land environments.

It is established that electron transmission through chiral molecules depends on the electron's spin. This phenomenon, termed the chiral‐induced spin selectivity (CISS), effect has been observed in chiral molecules, supramolecular structures, polymers, and metal‐organic films. Which spin is preferred in the transmission depends on the handedness of the system and the tunneling direction of the electrons. Molecular motors based on overcrowded alkenes show multiple inversions of helical chirality under light irradiation and thermal relaxation. The authors found here multistate switching of spin selectivity in electron transfer through first generation molecular motors based on the four accessible distinct helical configurations, measured by magnetic‐conductive atomic force microscopy. It is shown that the helical state dictates the molecular organization on the surface. The efficient spin polarization observed in the photostationary state of the right‐handed motor coupled with the modulation of spin selectivity through the controlled sequence of helical states, opens opportunities to tune spin selectivity on‐demand with high spatio‐temporal precision. An energetic analysis correlates the spin injection barrier with the extent of spin polarization. The efficiency of electrons transport through chiral systems depends on their spin. Hence, chiral molecules are spin filters. Controlling the molecules' chirality provides a way to define the spin polarization. This molecular machine performs unidirectional rotations, inverting handedness of the molecule and therefore the spin‐polarization at each stage of the rotary cycle.

Probing the mechanical properties of cells is critical for understanding their deformation behaviors and biological functions. Although some methods have been proposed to characterize the elastic properties of cells, it is still difficult to measure their time-dependent properties. This paper investigates the use of atomic force microscope (AFM) to determine the reduced relaxation modulus of cells. In principle, AFM is hard to perform an indentation relaxation test that requires a constant indenter displacement during load relaxation, whereas the real AFM indenter displacement usually varies with time during relaxation due to the relatively small bending stiffness of its cantilever. We investigate this issue through a combined theoretical, computational, and experimental effort. A protocol relying on the choice of appropriate cantilever bending stiffness is proposed to perform an AFM-based indentation relaxation test of cells, which enables the measurement of reduced relaxation modulus with high accuracy. This protocol is first validated by performing nanoindentation relaxation tests on a soft material and by comparing the results with those from independent measurements. Then indentation tests of cartilage cells are conducted to demonstrate this method in determining time-dependent properties of living cells. Finally, the change in the viscoelasticity of MCF-7 cells under hyperthermia is investigated.

Adhesion assessment of nanoscale contacts is a critical capability for the development of future nanoelectromechanical systems and nanobiotechnology devices. However, experimental approaches to investigate interactions on micro- and nanostructured surfaces have predominantly been restricted to capturing adhesion force in the normal direction. This provides limited information about the multidimensional nature of surface texture and related interaction mechanisms. Here the design, fabrication, and application of a unique atomic force microscope probe is presented that consists of a focused ion beam-milled cantilever decorated with a colloidal particle. The probe is specifically developed for characterizing textured surfaces with lateral force feedback. Pull-off tests that map the adhesive interaction in microscale cavities are performed to examine the capability of the probe. Normal and lateral adhesive forces during nanoscale contact are accurately obtained and the adhesion energy of the contact interface is thus determined. An in-depth understanding of the effects of surface texture and the correlation of adhesion and friction is demonstrated. The proposed methodology enables dedicated investigations of interfacial interaction on various non-planar surfaces. It can be used for understanding the complex interplay of adhesion, contact, and friction forces at nanoscale, which may facilitate significant advances in challenging research areas such as fibrillar adhesion.

Tribological properties mapping is a new technique that extracts friction coefficient and adhesion maps obtained from lateral atomic force microscope (LAFM) images. By imaging the surface systematically as a function of load, a series of images can be tiled, and pixelwise fitted to a modified Amontons’ Law to obtain friction coefficient and adhesion maps. This removes the ambiguity of friction contrast in LAFM imaging which can be a function of the load used for imaging. In ambient laboratory, air and tetradecane, a sample of Vancron ® 40, commercial powder metallurgical tool alloy containing nitrogen, have been scanned using a standard silicon cantilever in order to obtain tribological data. The tribological properties mapping provides unique information regarding the heterogeneous alloy microstructure as well as shedding light on the tribological behavior of the alloy.