Nanometrology of delignified Populus using mode synthesizing atomic force microscopy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Characterizing nanoscale physical and compositional properties of complex biological specimens, particularly for bioenergy applications, presents significant challenges.
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a key technique, but advanced modes are needed for intricate biological samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the utility of Mode Synthesizing Atomic Force Microscopy (MSAFM) for dynamically investigating the complex structures of plant cells.
• To highlight the importance of synthesized modes in MSAFM for accessing new sample features.
• To apply MSAFM to study biomass delignification processes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing Mode Synthesizing Atomic Force Microscopy (MSAFM) with tuned mechanical excitation of the probe-sample system.
• Applying MSAFM to image plant cells (Populus) before and after holopulping treatment.

Main Results:

• MSAFM successfully captured dynamic, spatially resolved physical and compositional properties of plant cells.
• The study demonstrated the effectiveness of tuning probe-sample interactions for detailed nanoscale analysis.
• Distinct nanoscale features were observed in Populus cells pre- and post-holopulping, illustrating the impact of biomass delignification.

Conclusions:

• MSAFM is a powerful metrology tool for elucidating the complex nanoscale properties of biological materials relevant to bioenergy.
• The technique provides insights into material changes during biomass processing, such as delignification.
• Further exploration of synthesized modes in MSAFM can unlock new avenues for materials characterization.