Application of Advanced Scanning Probe Microscopies in Biophysics and Condensed Matter Physics: from Neuronal Networks to Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosensors

 

Invented in 1986, the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is probably the single most important tool in nanotechnology. A whole host of AFM-based techniques called Scanning Probe Microscopies (SPMs) have been developed to study a wide range of systems from imaging surfaces with sub-nanometer (sometimes even atomic) resolution and manipulation of matter at the level of molecules (nanoscale level) to studies of physical properties of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. In this presentation I will exemplify the use of SPMs to study some fundamental biophysical processes as well as the electronic transport in low-dimensional systems. As a first example, I will show that the AFM can be used to immobilize proteins at well-defined locations directly onto gold substrates, and to control effectively the adhesion, growth and interconnectivity of cortical neurons on these surfaces. I will demonstratethat this method allows us to control geometric and chemical factors that can be used to influence the growth and development of neuronal assemblages in simple geometries. As a second example, I will describe the use of SPM to study the doping mechanism and the charge transport in reduced graphene oxide chemical sensors.

Condensed Matter Seminar Calendar