Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

4.6K
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
4.6K
Structure of Alkanes02:23

Structure of Alkanes

36.1K
The formation of carbon-carbon bonds leading to the creation of the carbon chain is the basis of organic chemistry. August Kekulé and Archibald Scott Couper independently developed this idea of carbon chain formation.
Hydrocarbons are the simplest organic compounds composed of carbons and hydrogens. Based on the bond order between carbons, the hydrocarbons are further classified into alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. 
Alkanes are the simplest hydrocarbons with sp3 hybrid carbon atoms....
36.1K
Organic Compounds03:02

Organic Compounds

58.1K
All living things are formed mostly of carbon compounds called organic compounds. The category of organic compounds includes both natural and synthetic compounds that contain carbon. Although a single, precise definition has yet to be identified by the chemistry community, most agree that a defining trait of organic molecules is the presence of carbon as the principal element, bonded to hydrogen and other carbon atoms. However, some carbon-containing compounds such as carbonates, cyanides, and...
58.1K
NMR and Mass Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acids01:30

NMR and Mass Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acids

5.4K
In ¹H NMR spectroscopy, acidic protons (–COOH) of carboxylic acids are highly deshielded and absorb far downfield, at around 9–12 ppm. The chemical shift value depends on the concentration and solvent used.
While α protons of carboxylic acids absorb at 2–2.5 ppm, β protons absorb further upfield.
Carboxylic acids are easily identified by dissolving them in deuterium oxide, which results in a rapid exchange of the acidic protons with deuterium. This leads to the...
5.4K
Mass Spectrometry: Branched Alkane Fragmentation01:29

Mass Spectrometry: Branched Alkane Fragmentation

1.9K
This lesson delves into the mass spectrometry of branched alkane fragmentation. Branched alkanes possess secondary or tertiary carbon atoms, which generate relatively stable carbocations if the cleavage occurs at the branching point. The high stability of carbocations drives the instant fragmentation of branched alkanes. Accordingly, the branched alkane's molecular ion peak is very weak or invisible in the mass spectra, especially in comparison to a linear alkane.
1.9K
Mass Spectrometry: Long-Chain Alkane Fragmentation01:18

Mass Spectrometry: Long-Chain Alkane Fragmentation

2.6K
The molecular ions of linear alkanes prefer to fragment at the carbon-carbon bond away from the end of the chain since the cleavage of an inner bond creates a stable carbocation and a stable radical. Consequently, the mass signals of linear alkanes feature intense peaks in the middle of the mass-to-charge ratio plot with weaker peaks on either end. The fragmentation of each carbon-carbon bond with the release of a methyl group in each splitting leads to prominent peaks in the mass spectra...
2.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Rotational Characterization of Four-Ring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Toward the Detection of Fluoranthene and Cyanofluoranthene in Space.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2026
Same author

Defects and defect-mediated engineering of two-dimensional materials: challenges and open questions.

Beilstein journal of nanotechnology·2026
Same author

Growth of Low-Defect WSe<sub>2</sub> Film via High-Purity van der Waals Crystal Precursor.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

A molecule with half-Möbius topology.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Tuning the Twist by Molecular Design: A New Strategy for Hexabenzocoronene-Containing Helical Twistacene.

Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

160 GHz Schottky Diodes from Solution-Processed IGZO.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2025
Same journal

A meta-linked benzoxazole-based wide-bandgap material for deep-blue electroluminescence and high-brightness, low-roll-off multicolor phosphorescent OLEDs.

Chemical science·2026
Same journal

Molecular design enables color-fluorescence alignment in electrochromic/electrofluorochromic displays.

Chemical science·2026
Same journal

Polyolefin cyclization triggered by electrochemically generated alkoxycarbenium ions: batch and flow conditions.

Chemical science·2026
Same journal

Ultrafast excited-state proton transfer dynamics using linearized pair-density functional theory.

Chemical science·2026
Same journal

Multi-responsive tetrahedral DNA frameworks for <i>in situ</i> methyltransferase imaging to distinguish living chemoresistant tumor cells.

Chemical science·2026
Same journal

Symmetry-breaking charge separation: from charge generation to functional charge utilization.

Chemical science·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

10.4K

Characterizing aliphatic moieties in hydrocarbons with atomic force microscopy.

Bruno Schuler1, Yunlong Zhang2, Sara Collazos3

  • 1IBM Research - Zurich , Säumerstrasse 4 , 8803 Rüschlikon , Switzerland .

Chemical Science
|April 29, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers used high-resolution atomic force microscopy to study hydrocarbon model compounds. This technique successfully differentiates aromatic and aliphatic moieties, aiding analysis of complex hydrocarbon samples like petroleum.

More Related Videos

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

10.9K
Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid
10:25

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Published on: December 20, 2016

17.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

10.4K
Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

10.9K
Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid
10:25

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Published on: December 20, 2016

17.6K

Area of Science:

  • Surface science
  • Materials science
  • Organic chemistry

Background:

  • Hydrocarbon resources like petroleum contain complex mixtures of aromatic and aliphatic compounds.
  • Understanding the structure of these compounds is crucial for resource extraction and analysis.
  • Current methods may struggle to differentiate similar molecular structures within complex samples.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and characterize novel hydrocarbon model compounds.
  • To develop a method for differentiating aromatic and aliphatic moieties within these compounds.
  • To provide tools for analyzing unknown hydrocarbon samples.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution noncontact atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed.
  • Model compounds with both aromatic and aliphatic features were synthesized.
  • Atomic manipulation techniques were used to modify and differentiate molecular structures.
  • Sublimation was used for the deposition of alkyl-aromatic compounds.

Main Results:

  • Successful intact deposition of alkyl-aromatics by sublimation was demonstrated.
  • AFM and atomic manipulation clearly differentiated aliphatic moieties from aromatic ones.
  • Distinct AFM 'fingerprints' were generated for aromatic and aliphatic structures.
  • Model compounds successfully mimicked structures found in petroleum asphaltenes and biological lipids.

Conclusions:

  • AFM combined with atomic manipulation offers a powerful method for structural elucidation.
  • This approach provides clear differentiation of aromatic and aliphatic components in hydrocarbons.
  • The findings will aid in the characterization of complex, unknown hydrocarbon mixtures.