ABSTRACT
The atomic force microscope (AFM) [1] has become one of the
most powerful tools in nanoscience and nanotechnology, providing
images with atomic resolution and force measurements down
to the single chemical bond. One of the main advantages of
the AFM in comparison to other microscopy methods is not
only the nanometer lateral resolution on biological samples but
also the possibility to measure in liquid under near-physiological
conditions. Combining the ability of high-resolution imaging and
single-molecule force detection leads to simultaneous topography
and recognition (TREC) imaging [2-4]. Such dynamic recognition
imaging comprises the combination of a ligand-coated AFM tip
converted to a molecular sensor with an enhanced feedback system,
which allows simultaneous recording of topography and recognition
data via splitting of the amplitude signal into upper and lower parts.
