Atomic force microscopy and its application in the characterization of environmental samples
原子力显微镜在环境样品研究与表征中的应用与展望

Since the invention of atomic force microscope (AFM) in 1986 a series of novel scanning probe microscopes termed as scanning force microscopy (SFM) have been developed such as the atomic force microscope (AFM), lateral force microscope (LFM), magnetic force microscope (MFM), electrical force microscope (EFM) and others. The basic principles mainly are focused on the various interaction origins between tip and sample. In this review, operation modes and some new imaging techniques of SFM are briefly introduced. Their applications are discussed, with the emphasis on the study and characterization of environmental samples in the micro-interfacial process, such as the surface morphology imaging of environmental microbes, behavior observation of aggregation from humic substances at water-solid interface, the interaction mechanism and the morphology study of inorganic polymer flocculants (Al_(13) cluster etc.) , the characterization of surface topography and pore structures of the membrane materials etc. With the more use of AFM in the environmental sciences, the authors believe that it will play a significant role in the study on various environmental processes, especially in the observation and identification of the morphology and performance for the environmental nano-pollutants (ENP) on subsurface.