Study of β-amyloid adsorption and aggregation on graphite by STM and AFM

The scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been applied to the direct study of the adsorption and aggregation of β-amyloid(1–42)(Aβ42) on the hydrophobic graphite surface. It was found that Aβ42 were preferentially adsorbed on graphite defects such as the edges. Aβ42 peptides self-assembled into intermediate protofibrils, which in turn self-associated to form fibrils. Usually, two or more fibrils intertwined to form the helical structure. These results will provide an important clue to studying the aggregation process of β-amyloid.