Chemical Derivatization of Scanning Probe Microscope Tips

John Baldeschweiler得到了理论与计算化学项目和MPS多学科活动办公室探索性研究的小额资助，用于开发化学衍生的扫描隧道显微镜（STM）和原子力显微镜（AFM）探针尖端。本研究的目的是：1)在尖端附着高向加合物；2)附着特定的化学基团。目前，想要接近原子分辨率的用户基本上依靠运气来获得好的提示。附加高向加合物的能力将使获得可靠和可重复的近原子分辨率成为可能。附着特定化学部分的能力将导致一种化学对比机制。初步计算表明，原子力显微镜有足够的灵敏度来探测弱于单个氢键的相互作用。纳米技术的发展需要以原子精度创造和分析结构的能力。然而，为了使纳米技术成为现实，在原子尺度上成像和分析材料的能力是必不可少的。STM和AFM已经在材料科学、化学和生物学领域产生了惊人的成果。可靠地对纳米操作效果进行成像的能力将取决于可重复的高向尖端的发展，以及化学对比机制的发展。

John Baldeschweiler is supported by a Small Grant for Exploratory Research from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Program and the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities to develop chemically derivatized Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probe tips. The goals of this research are to: 1) to attach high-aspect adducts to the tip; and 2) to attach specific chemical moieties. At the present time users who want near-atomic resolution depend essentially on luck to produce good tips. The ability to attach high-aspect adducts will make it possible to obtain near-atomic resolution reliably and reproducibly. The ability to attach specific chemical moieties would lead to a mechanism for chemical contrast. Preliminary calculations indicate that an AFM has sufficient sensitivity to detect an interaction weaker than a single hydrogen bond. The development of nanotechnology requires the ability to create and analyze structures with atomic precision. However, in order for nanotechnology to become a reality, the ability to image and analyze materials on the atomic scale is essential. STM and AFM have already generated striking results in material science, chemistry and biology. The ability to image the effects of nanomanipulation reliably will depend on the development of reproducibly high-aspect tips, and the development of chemical contrast mechanisms.