Atomic Force Microscope

• Subject Area: Polymer Research
• Term: Funded in 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 554825055

In the Department of Macromolecular Chemistry at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, there is long-standing expertise in the application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the characterization of polymer material surfaces. Our current AFM is increasingly losing quality and becoming prone to malfunctions, jeopardizing high-quality scientific work. Therefore, a replacement is urgently needed to continue our research. The new device should, like its predecessor, serve fundamental research for many years, providing high throughput with very high accuracy, and enabling the measurement of soft and sticky samples, even in liquid environments. Among other projects, the new AFM will be used for the following: characterization of nanoparticle/polymer composites on surfaces; creation of plasmonic structures from nanoparticles; molecularly imprinted nanocomposites for biomedical applications; development of novel polymer electrodes based on stable radicals; gas permeability of polymer hybrid materials; stickiness of block copolymers; dehydration of dynamic hydrogels and their application in surface nanostructuring; precise nanoparticle assemblies through hydrogen bonding and the process-driven self-organization of sphere-forming block copolymers in metastable states. In the field of biophysical chemistry, the AFM will be used for projects on artificial actin cortices, studies of the viscoelastic response of strained, planar epithelia, and the investigation of dormancy of trans-kingdom spores.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Rasterkraftmikroskop
• Instrumentation Group: 5091 Rasterkraft-Mikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Leader: Professor Dr. Philipp Vana