Multi modal Surface Forces Apparatus

本提案描述了一个表面工程领域的研究计划，重组三名研究人员在蒙特利尔大学。该研究计划的重点是开发新的策略来控制工程表面的界面特性，这可能会导致在生物医学领域的应用。该研究计划的一个关键要素在于表面的精确工程，这需要对分子接枝，分布和构象的绝对控制。我们的主要目标是建立宏观界面特性（如附着力、润滑、表面能）和局部纳米级表面特性（如分子构象、分子分布或纳米力学性能）之间的定量相关性。这项具有挑战性的任务目前在三个不同的研究重点中进行了研究，每个研究人员都参与其中：i)下一代生物润滑剂的超润滑和超抗性表面；ii)用于下一代智能设备的响应/指导性纳米膜；iii)下一代纳米医学和医疗设备的生物功能表面。为了实现我们的目标，我们目前正在使用表面力装置（SFA）来评估工程宏观表面之间在分子水平上的相互作用力，并使用荧光显微镜、x射线/中子反射光谱和表面成像等互补技术表征其纳米级性质。这种方法是乏味的，并且不允许定量地建立所需的相关性，因为在从一种表征技术转移到另一种表征技术期间，表面可变性和劣化。所要求的基础设施是集成荧光显微镜的多模态SFA。该设备提供了同时进行力测量和荧光成像的可能性，从而可以直接将表面上分子物种的纳米级分布与宏观界面特性联系起来。该设备的多功能性将允许在未来耦合其他表面敏感技术，如原位分子成像（AFM）或执行中子散射实验（SANS）同时进行力测量。如果获得批准，该设备将大大推进我们的研究计划及其科学影响，并将为加拿大地面科学家构成一个杰出的可升级技术平台。

The present proposal describes a research program in the field of surface engineering regrouping three researchers at the university of Montreal. The research program is centered on developing new strategies to control interfacial properties of engineered surfaces that could potentially lead to applications in the biomedical field. A key element of this research program lies in the precise engineering of the surfaces which requires an absolute control of molecular grafting, distribution and conformation. Our main goal is to establish quantitative correlations between macroscopic interfacial properties such as adhesion, lubrication, surface energy and local nanoscale surface properties such as molecular conformation, molecular distribution or nanomechanical properties. This challenging task is currently investigated in three different research thrusts involving each researcher: i) superlubricating and superresistant surfaces for next generation biolubricants; ii) Responsive/instructive nanofilms for next generation smart devices; iii) Biofunctional surfaces for next generation nanomedecine and medical devices. To achieve our goal, we are currently using the Surface Forces Apparatus (SFA) to assess the interaction forces at the molecular level between engineered macroscopic surfaces and characterizing their nanoscale properties using complementary techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, X-Ray/neutron reflection spectroscopy and surface imaging. This approach is tedious and does not allow to quantitatively establish the desired correlations due to surface variability and deterioration during transfer from one characterization technique to another. The requested infrastructure is a multi modal SFA integrating a fluorescence microscope. The equipment offers the possibility to perform force measurement and fluorescence imaging simultaneously allowing to directly correlate the nanoscale distribution of molecular species at the surfaces with macroscopic interfacial properties. The versatility of the equipment will allow in the future to couple other surface sensitive techniques such as in situ molecular imaging (AFM) or to perform neutron scattering experiments (SANS) simultaneously to force measurements. If granted, the equipment will significantly advance our research program and its scientific impact and will constitute an outstanding upgradable technological platform for surface scientists in Canada.