title: Modification of silicon AFM cantilever tips with an oligo(ethylene glycol) derivative for resisting proteins and maintaining a small tip size for high-resolution imaging.
abstract: We demonstrate that silicon AFM tips can be modified by etching with 2% HF solution followed by reaction with an alpha,omega-oligo(ethylene glycol)alkene. Tips properly modified by this technique maintain a small tip size and effectively reduce the nonspecific interaction with fibrinogen and bovine serum albumin, resulting in greatly improved image resolution and contrast for high-coverage fibrinogen films.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Center for Materials Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
authors.forename: Chi-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yam
authors.forename: Zhongdang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boutet
authors.forename: Chengzhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000475:Alkenes / Q000737:chemistry; D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000737:chemistry*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000475:Alkenes; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D005340:Fibrinogen; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; D012825:Silicon