Manipulation of cadmium selenide nanorods with an atomic force microscope

We have used an atomic force microscope (AFM) to manipulate and study ligand-capped cadmium selenide nanorods deposited on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG). The AFM tip was used to manipulate (i.e., translate and rotate) the nanorods by applying a force perpendicular to the nanorod axis. The manipulation result was shown to depend on the point of impact of the AFM tip with the nanorod and whether the nanorod had been manipulated previously. Forces applied parallel to the nanorod axis, however, did not give rise to manipulation. These results are interpreted by considering the atomic-scale interactions of the HOPG substrate with the organic ligands surrounding the nanorods. The vertical deflection of the cantilever was recorded during manipulation and was combined with a model in order to estimate the value of the horizontal force between the tip and nanorod during manipulation. This horizontal force is estimated to be on the order of a few tens of nN.