MRI: Acquisition of an Ultrahigh Vacuum Atomic Force Microscopy Apparatus

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With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, Wilfred Tysoe and Dennis W. Bennett in the Chemistry Department at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee will acquire an ultrahigh vacuum atomic force microscope (AFM). The instrument will be used primarily for two projects: a) the measurement of frictional properties of thin films that will allow nano-tribological measurements to be related to the properties of realistic contact geometries; b) investigations on the electrical properties of linked oligomers of aryl isocyanides to determine their potential as molecular wires. Other projects include studies on gate insulators for MOS devices and single-molecule fluorescence studies. Chemistry is a scientific discipline that studies structure and processes at the molecular scale. In the past, chemists learned to examine and elucidate molecular events by performing collective spectroscopy, that is, measuring average properties from solution or solid-state experiments. Modern techniques, including AFM, allow measurements on a much smaller scale. AFM allows the direct observation and understanding of molecular events occurring in chemical and biological processes, enables the correlation of microscopic structures to macroscopic properties, and permits the design of materials with nanoscopic features. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, including surface and materials science.