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  4. FM-AFM constant height imaging and force curves: high resolution study of DNA-tip interactions
 
research article

FM-AFM constant height imaging and force curves: high resolution study of DNA-tip interactions

Cerreta, Andrea  
•
Vobornik, Dusan  
•
Di Santo, Giovanni  
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2012
Journal of molecular recognition : JMR

Interaction of the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip with the sample can be invasive for soft samples. Frequency Modulation (FM) AFM is gentler because it allows scanning in the non-contact regime where only attractive forces exist between the tip and the sample, and there is no sample compression. Recently, FM-AFM was used to resolve the atomic structure of single molecules of pentacene and of carbon nanotubes. We are testing similar FM-AFM-based approaches to study biological samples. We present FM-AFM experiments on dsDNA deposited on 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane modified mica in ultra high vacuum. With flexible samples such as DNA, the substrate flatness is a sub-molecular resolution limiting factor. Non-contact topographic images of DNA show variations that have the periodicity of the right handed helix of B-form DNA - this is an unexpected result as dehydrated DNA is thought to assume the A-form structure. Frequency shift maps at constant height allow working in the non-monotonic frequency shift range, show a rich contrast that changes significantly with the tip-sample separation, and show 0.2 to 0.4 nm size details on DNA. Frequency shift versus distance curves acquired on DNA molecules and converted in force curves show that for small molecules (height < 2.5 nm), there is a contribution to the interaction force from the substrate when the tip is on top of the molecules. Our data shine a new light on dehydrated and adsorbed DNA behavior. They show a longer tip-sample interaction distance. These experiments may have an impact on nanotechnological DNA applications in non-physiological environments such as DNA based nanoelectronics and nanotemplating.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1002/jmr.2212
Web of Science ID

WOS:000307931700004

Author(s)
Cerreta, Andrea  
Vobornik, Dusan  
Di Santo, Giovanni  
Borron, Tobenas  
del Carmen, Susana
Alonso-Sarduy, Livan  
Adamcik, Jozef  
Dietler, Giovanni  
Date Issued

2012

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Published in
Journal of molecular recognition : JMR
Volume

25

Issue

9

Start page

486

End page

93

Subjects

frequency modulation

•

AFM

•

DNA

•

force curves

•

submolecular resolution

•

UHV

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LPMV  
Available on Infoscience
November 20, 2012
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/86993
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