Graduate School of Textile Science & Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1 Tokida Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan.
High-speed AFM for Biological Applications Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, and Bio-AFM Frontier Research Center, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2017 Sep 25;56(40):12146-12149. doi: 10.1002/anie.201705808. Epub 2017 Aug 25.
The real-time adsorption behavior of polymeric colloidal microspheres onto solid surfaces in aqueous solution was visualized for the first time using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to reveal how the softness of the microspheres affects their dynamic adsorption. Studies that focus on the deformability of microspheres upon dynamic adsorption have not yet been reported, most likely on account of a lack of techniques that appropriately depict the dynamic adsorption and deformation behavior of individual microspheres at the nanoscale in real time. In this study, the deformability of microspheres plays a crucial role on the adsorption kinetics, that is, soft hydrogel microspheres adsorb faster than harder elastomeric or rigid microspheres. These results should provide insight towards development of new colloidal nanomaterials that exhibit effective adsorption on specific sites in aqueous solution.
高分子胶体微球在水溶液中固-液界面的实时吸附行为首次通过高速原子力显微镜（HS-AFM）得以直观呈现，从而揭示了胶体微球的柔软度如何影响其动态吸附过程。目前，针对动态吸附过程中微球的可变形性的研究尚未见报道，这很可能是因为缺乏合适的技术来实时、原位、在纳米尺度上描绘单个微球的动态吸附和变形行为。在本研究中，微球的可变形性对吸附动力学过程起着至关重要的作用，即软质水凝胶微球的吸附速度快于硬质弹性体或刚性微球。这些结果为开发在水溶液中特定位置具有有效吸附性能的新型胶体纳米材料提供了新的思路。
