Chemistry researchers closing in on new atomic force microscope

A high-power atomic force microscope that could revolutionize the study of materials at high temperatures and pressures is coming into focus in a Wright State University lab.

Steven Higgins and his team are building a new version of the hydrothermal atomic force microscope, an instrument that could unlock scientific mysteries and be used in the study of oil production, hydrofracturing of rock layers, storage of radioactive waste and the capture and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

"I took a post-doc position at the University of Wyoming that was built around building one of the very first hydrothermal atomic force microscopes," said Higgins, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and associate director of Wright State's Environmental Sciences Ph.D. program. "Ever since, I've been interested in building the next best microscope."

Unlike a conventional optical microscope, the hydrothermal atomic force microscope consists of a sharp probe mounted on the end of a cantilever. The cantilever becomes a sensor when the probe comes into contact with the material being studied, creating an electrical signal that creates an image on a monitor. The "atomic force" of the microscope comes from the interaction of the atoms of the probe and the surface.