Atomic force microscopy colloid systems

Alternatively, one may employ colloidal probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure force distance curves such as the ones plotted in Fig. 5.1 [162]. The important difference between SFA and colloidal probe AFM experiments is that in the latter the entire force distance curve is accessible rather than only that portion satisfying Eq. (5.66) [163, 164]. In Ref. 164 a comparison is presented between theoretical and experimental data for confined poly-electrolyt.e systems. 

Cations bind to nanoscopic colloidal assemblies, supra-molecular solid lipid nanoparticles of amphiphilic calix[4]arene derivatives, leading, in certain cases, to the clustering of such assemblies in the presence of divalent cations Mg and Ca . Such clustering was imaged by atomic force microscopy. Such effects have particular relevance to the use of such transport systems in physiological media. 

Kocun M, Grandbois M, Cuccia LA. Single molecule atomic force microscopy and force spectroscopy of chitosan. Colloids and Surfaces B Biointerfaces. 2011 82(2) 470-6. Sitterberg J, Ozcetin A, Ehrhardt C, Bakowsky U. Utilising atomic force microscopy for the characterisation of nanoscale drug delivery systems. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2010 74(1) 2-13. 

The stable branches of the oscillatory curves have been detected by means of a thin-fihn pressure balance [461,486,487]. Oscillatory forces due to surfactant micelles and microemulsion droplets have also been measured by means of a SEA [488,489] by atomic force microscopy [463,490] by a light scattering method [491], in asymmetric films [492], in anulsion films [493], and in films containing solid colloidal spheres [437,438,494-502]. Such forces are also observed in more complex systems like... 

Results from dynamic light scattering (DLS) titrations. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), surface force measurements and rheology will be used to illustrate how differences in kinetics show up in experiments on colloidal micellar systems. 

In addition, well-characterized polymer colloids will continue to serve as tools and models in various optical techniques (atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers, photonic force microscopy etc.) for investigating direct measurements of colloidal forces and studying physical properties of biological membranes and vesicles. All these techniques should be useful in different fields of applications, especially in microfluidics systems. 

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