Atomic force microscopy investigations on polymer latex films

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is applied on two different types of thin latex films. Polystyrene dispersion particles are prepared by various methods to form well-ordered monolayers and multilayers. Atomic force microscopy serves as a tool to study the surface structures of such films and to find the optimal preparation conditions. The micromorphology of the second system, an adhesive tape, was imaged successfully by AFM running in dynamic mode. Besides the morphological studies, the interaction between the sticky surface and the AFM tip is measured by the damping of the cantilever oscillation versus tipsample distance.

Physical properties of dynamic force microscopies in contact and noncontact operation

“…The motivation of using high amplitude modes (Fig. 2) arises, for example, from the possibility to investigate strongly adhesive surfaces [35], and to minimize shear forces and lateral forces between tip and sample during scanning [36].…”

Nanoscale organized assembly of nanoparticulate TiO2-stearate monolayers through the Langmuir–Blodgett method

“…17 AFM images of TiO 2 -St monolayers deposited on Si substrates were shown in Fig. 17 AFM images of TiO 2 -St monolayers deposited on Si substrates were shown in Fig.…”

A method for measuring the size distribution of latex particles by scanning force microscopy

“…It is also possible to use Fourier transforms [11], radial distribution functions [12] and power spectral density analysis to quantify the diameters of large areas of close-packed latex particles. These methods emphasise the spatial position of the (higher) centres of the particles rather than the (lower) interstices and so are less sensitive to tip imaging effects.…”

“…Refs. [9][10][11][12][13] dimensions [14]. In this paper, we present an alternative method by which the size distribution of latex particles can be accurately determined by measuring the heights of particles at the edges of monolayers with the SFM.…”