Innovations & technologies

New Atomic Force Microscope is x2,000 faster, images chemical reactions almost real time

The AFM is one of the most versatile and powerful microscopy technology for studying samples at nanoscale or million times smaller than the width of a human hair. Despite it can zoom in and a capture even the tinniest and subtlest details of a surface, its main limitation is that it takes too long to scan. As such, it can only be used for static shots. Dynamic events, like chemical reactions, can’t be imaged with AFM. I mean, they can, but just like when you use a DSLR on high exposure to take a picture of a moving car, it will all be a mess.

That’s set to change, as an upgraded version can scan samples 2,000 times faster — enough to image chemical reactions close to real time at 8 to 10 frames per second (real time is considered 30fps). The new instrument is based on the work of Iman Soltani Bozchalooi, now a postdoc at MIT’s Mechanical Engineering department, while still in his PhD days.