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.
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.
Yam
Chi-Ming
CM
Department of Chemistry, Center for Materials Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
Xiao
Zhongdang
Z
Gu
Jianhua
J
Boutet
Sabine
S
Cai
Chengzhi
C
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*
D000475:Alkenes; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D005340:Fibrinogen; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; D012825:Silicon