title: A novel design of a scanning probe microscope integrated with an ultramicrotome for serial block-face nanotomography.
abstract: We present a new concept of a combined scanning probe microscope (SPM)/ultramicrotome apparatus. It enables "slice-and-view" scanning probe nanotomography measurements and 3D reconstruction of the bulk sample nanostructure from series of SPM images after consecutive ultrathin sections. The sample is fixed on a flat XYZ scanning piezostage mounted on the ultramicrotome arm. The SPM measuring head with a cantilever tip and a laser-photodiode tip detection system approaches the sample for SPM measurements of the block-face surface immediately after the ultramicrotome sectioning is performed. The SPM head is moved along guides that are also fixed on the ultramicrotome arm. Thereby, relative dysfunctional displacements of the tip, the sample, and the ultramicrotome knife are minimized. The design of the SPM head enables open frontal optical access to the sample block-face adapted for high-resolution optical lenses for correlative SPM/optical microscopy applications. The new system can be used in a wide range of applications for the study of 3D nanostructures of biological objects, biomaterials, polymer nanocomposites, and nanohybrid materials in various SPM and optical microscopy measuring modes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bionanotechology, V.I. Shumakov Federal Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs, Shchukinskaya St., 1, 123182 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Anton E
authors.identifier: 000000020769301X
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Efimov
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bionanotechology, V.I. Shumakov Federal Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs, Shchukinskaya St., 1, 123182 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Igor I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Agapov
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bionanotechology, V.I. Shumakov Federal Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs, Shchukinskaya St., 1, 123182 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Olga I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Agapova
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nano-Bioengineering, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Kashirskoe shosse, 31, 115409 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Vladimir A
authors.identifier: 0000000346234913
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Oleinikov
authors.affiliation: Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya St., 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexey V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Mezin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche en Nanosciences, LRN-EA4682, UFR de Pharmacie, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51 rue Cognacq Jay, 51100 Reims, France.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nano-Bioengineering, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Kashirskoe shosse, 31, 115409 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.identifier: 000000028391040X
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nabiev
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nano-Bioengineering, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Kashirskoe shosse, 31, 115409 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Konstantin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Mochalov