Journal article
Free-Standing Biomimetic Polymer Membrane Imaged with Atomic Force Microscopy
Aquaporin A/S, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark1
NanoScience Center, Copenhagen University, Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark2
Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark3
Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark4
Fluid polymeric biomimetic membranes are probed with atomic force microscopy (AFM) using probes with both normal tetrahedrally shaped tips and nanoneedle-shaped Ag2Ga rods. When using nanoneedle probes, the collected force volume data show three distinct membrane regions which match the expected membrane structure when spanning an aperture in a hydrophobic scaffold.
The method used provides a general method for mapping attractive fluid surfaces. In particular, the nanoneedle probing allows for characterization of free-standing biomimetic membranes with thickness on the nanometer scale suspended over 300-μm-wide apertures, where the membranes are stable toward hundreds of nanoindentations without breakage.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | American Chemical Society |
Year: | 2011 |
Pages: | 499-503 |
ISSN: | 15205827 and 07437463 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1021/la103632q |