Innovation in atomic-resolution AFM probes in liquid: An approach based on molecular precision design and single molecule analysis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18871
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 28:Nano/micro science and related fields
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Asakawa Hitoshi 金沢大学, ナノマテリアル研究所, 准教授 (90509605)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 古山 渓行 金沢大学, 物質化学系, 准教授 (30584528) ; 雲林院 宏 北海道大学, 電子科学研究所, 教授 (40519352)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 原子間力顕微鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have synthesized candidate molecules with rigid frameworks for molecular tips and investigated their coupling reactions for fixing the molecular tips to the AFM tip apex. We demonstrated that the properties of fluctuation and deformation, which are important for using rigid skeletons as molecular tips, can be evaluated on a single molecule level using frequency-modulated AFM and three-dimensional scanning AFM. In the coupling reactions for immobilization on Si tips apex, cross-coupling reactions of silanol and phosphate groups with Si surfaces and immobilization of thiol molecules on the deposited Au layer were investigated. In addition, we demonstrated that rigid molecules could be reproducibly immobilized by cross-coupling reactions reported in the field of click chemistry, such as the Huisgen cycloaddition, and visualized by frequency-modulated AFM.

Free Research Field

ナノ計測

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で得られた成果は、液中原子分解能を有する周波数変調AFMや3D-AFMの再現性の大幅な向上に加えて、得られたAFM像に基づく界面構造・界面現象の微視的理解を深めることに繋がる。界面構造・界面現象の微視的理解が進展することで、固体触媒で反応が生じる界面の精密設計・精密制御やエネルギー関連物質の貯蔵・放出や環境浄化に使用できる高機能吸着材料の新規開発や高機能化に貢献することができると期待される。