Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

13:15
Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy
Published on: July 18, 2014
11.5K
Fast preparation and recycling method for colloidal probe cantilevers in hydrophobic mapping applications
1Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
Methodsx
|April 17, 2019
Summary
Contaminated atomic force microscope (AFM) probe tips can be quickly recycled and re-equipped with new colloidal probes. This fast procedure enhances cantilever longevity and improves the reproducibility of force measurements.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Science
Background:
- Probe contamination on atomic force microscope (AFM) tips limits cantilever lifespan and measurement reproducibility.
- Existing cleaning methods struggle with inorganic particulate contamination, necessitating frequent probe replacement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a rapid and effective method for recycling contaminated colloidal probe cantilevers.
- To demonstrate re-equipping cantilevers with pristine colloids without compromising their properties.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel, fast recycling procedure for contaminated colloidal probe cantilevers.
- Assessment of the mechanical and structural integrity of recycled cantilevers.
Main Results:
- The proposed procedure significantly reduces probe preparation time.
- Recycled cantilevers maintain their mechanical and structural properties.
- Extended experimental work with single cantilevers is enabled, reducing calibration deviations.
Conclusions:
- A fast and efficient method for recycling AFM colloidal probe cantilevers is established.
- This technique enhances cantilever usability and measurement reliability.
- The procedure offers a cost-effective solution for AFM users facing probe contamination issues.
Related Concept Videos
Colloids
20.9K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
20.9K
Colloids and Suspensions
3.3K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles visible to the naked eye or seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. The suspended particles in a suspension settle out after some time of mixing. The separation of particles from a suspension is...
3.3K
Impact Loading on a Cantilever Beam
884
The analysis of a cantilever beam with a circular cross-section subjected to impact loading at its free end illustrates the conversion of potential energy from a dropped object into kinetic energy, which is then absorbed by the beam as strain energy. This process is crucial for understanding how materials behave under dynamic loads, which is important in fields such as construction and aerospace.
When an object is dropped onto the free end of a cantilever, its potential energy due to gravity is...
When an object is dropped onto the free end of a cantilever, its potential energy due to gravity is...
884
Colloidal precipitates
6.0K
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
6.0K
Recycling Endosomes and Transcytosis
3.5K
The recycling endosome, also known as the endosomal recycling compartment (ERC), is a part of the slow-recycling process of the endocytic pathway. Molecules internalized through receptor-mediated endocytosis are either degraded in the lysosomes or are recycled to the plasma membrane through the fast- or slow-recycling route.
The recycling endosome is not a single organelle but an extensively tubulated network of recycling pathways. It functions in storing molecules or transporting them across...
The recycling endosome is not a single organelle but an extensively tubulated network of recycling pathways. It functions in storing molecules or transporting them across...
3.5K
Fast Fourier Transform
931
The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is a computational algorithm designed to compute the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) efficiently. By breaking down the calculations into smaller, manageable sections, the FFT significantly reduces the computational complexity involved. Direct computation of an N-point DFT requires N2 complex multiplications, whereas the FFT algorithm needs only (N/2)log2N multiplications, offering a much faster performance.
The computational efficiency of the FFT becomes...
The computational efficiency of the FFT becomes...
931

