Insulated Conductive Probes for in situ Experiments in Structural Biology

Akiyama, T.; Gullo, M.; Rooij, N. F. de; Staufer, U.; Tonin, A.; Engel, Aaron; Frederix, P. L. T. M.

doi:10.1063/1.1639691

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…For example, Macpherson et al prepared nanowire tips with an exposed active electrode of ∼80 nm diameter from single-walled carbon nanotube AFM tips that served as a template for subsequent metal deposition [47]. Conical nanoelectrode tips prepared by Staufer and Frederix et al have end-tip diameters of ∼20 nm obtained through a MEMS process [29,30]. In this work, we also prepare AFM-SECM probes through a wafer-based MEMS approach that allows for high batch-tobatch consistency.…”

Section: Properties Of the Nanoelectrode Probementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prior to this work, fabrication techniques of AFM-SECM nanoelectrode probes included electrochemical etching of Pt or Au wires [24,25], MEMS [19,[26][27][28][29][30], and abrasion [31]. Some of these approaches successfully prepared nanoelectrodes with end-tip diameters <100 nm [30,47].…”

Section: Properties Of the Nanoelectrode Probementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Insulated conductive probes with an exposed apex are employed for this measurement. Fabrication techniques include electrochemical etching of Pt or Au wires [24,25], micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) [19,[26][27][28][29][30], and abrasion [31]. While many of these approaches are described as 'batch fabrication process,' the development of robust, reliable, and reproducible probes has been limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Atomic force microscopy with nanoelectrode tips for high resolution electrochemical, nanoadhesion and nanoelectrical imaging

et al. 2017

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Multimodal nano-imaging in electrochemical environments is important across many areas of science and technology. Here, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) using an atomic force microscope (AFM) platform with a nanoelectrode probe is reported. In combination with PeakForce tapping AFM mode, the simultaneous characterization of surface topography, quantitative nanomechanics, nanoelectronic properties, and electrochemical activity is demonstrated. The nanoelectrode probe is coated with dielectric materials and has an exposed conical Pt tip apex of ∼200 nm in height and of ∼25 nm in end-tip radius. These characteristic dimensions permit sub-100 nm spatial resolution for electrochemical imaging. With this nanoelectrode probe we have extended AFM-based nanoelectrical measurements to liquid environments. Experimental data and numerical simulations are used to understand the response of the nanoelectrode probe. With PeakForce SECM, we successfully characterized a surface defect on a highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite electrode showing correlated topographical, electrochemical and nanomechanical information at the highest AFM-SECM resolution. The SECM nanoelectrode also enabled the measurement of heterogeneous electrical conductivity of electrode surfaces in liquid. These studies extend the basic understanding of heterogeneity on graphite/graphene surfaces for electrochemical applications.

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Section: Properties Of the Nanoelectrode Probementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Properties Of the Nanoelectrode Probementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Atomic force microscopy with nanoelectrode tips for high resolution electrochemical, nanoadhesion and nanoelectrical imaging

et al. 2017

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“…However, concomitant observation of current and conformational changes have not been possible. Only recently, the fabrication of cantilevers with a conductive tip and insulated lead, which are stable in salt solutions and exhibit suitable mechanical properties, was established(57). Initial experiments demonstrated that the topography of a biological sample and faradaic currents can be acquired simultaneously with a lateral resolution of 3-8 nm using such cantilevers(Figure 3)(12).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure and Mechanics of Membrane Proteins

Engel

Gaub

2008

Annu. Rev. Biochem.

254

211

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Evolution has tuned membrane proteins to exist in a lipid bilayer, provide for cell-cell communication, transport solutes, and convert energies. These proteins exhibit a hydrophobic belt that interacts with the lipid bilayer. Detergents are therefore used to extract membrane proteins and keep them in solution for purification and subsequent analyses. However, most membrane proteins are unstable when solubilized and hence often not accessible to NMR or X-ray crystallography. The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful tool for imaging and manipulating membrane proteins in their native state. Superb images of native membranes have been recorded, and a quantitative interpretation of the data acquired using the AFM tip has become possible. In addition, multifunctional probes to simultaneously acquire information on the topography and electrical properties of membrane proteins have been produced. This progress is discussed here and fosters expectations for future developments and applications of AFM and single-molecule force spectroscopy.

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