Resumen de Atomic Force Microscopy:: Opening the Teaching Laboratory to the Nanoworld
Ron Blonder, Ernesto Joselevich, Sidney R. Cohen
The atomic force microscope (AFM), first demonstrated in 1986, quickly became the workhorse of nanoscience, providing nanometer-scale imaging, local mechanical and electronic probing, and manipulation. The extensive use of AFM in research triggered incorporation of the instrument into teaching laboratories in colleges, undergraduate studies, and even high schools. The AFM is an interactive tool like no other for studying matter at the nanoscale. This also makes the AFM an exciting tool to give students a notion of chemistry concepts. Here we provide a perspective regarding the educational value of this technique, including a description of the instrument and the way it works, a summary of the relevant literature, and suggestions for possible activities connected to both basic concepts in the chemistry curriculum and advanced topics in nanotechnology and biological chemistry. We also include guidance for purchasing an AFM for the teaching lab.
