Electromechanical imaging in liquid environments: a pathway toward molecular-level resolution of biological systems

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During piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) in a liquid environment an electric field at the tip-surface junction deforms the piezoelectric material which in turn deflects the microscope tip. This PFM image shows an example of PFM amplitude which is ...
During piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) in a liquid environment, an electric field at the tip-surface junction deforms the piezoelectric material, which in turn deflects the microscope tip. This PFM image shows an example of PFM amplitude, which is proportional to the tip displacement and measures the piezoelectric response of the material. Credit: Brian Rodriquez, et al.

Scientists have demonstrated that electromechanical imaging techniques, when operated in a liquid environment, can provide a resolution of up to 10 times that of the resolution when imaging in air. The liquid imaging method will allow for high-res studies of ferroelectric materials, as well as imaging electromechanical properties of biological systems, ultimately on the molecular level.


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