Manipulation of gold colloidal nanoparticles with atomic force microscopy in dynamic mode: influence of particle–substrate chemistry and morphology, and of operating conditions

• Samer Darwich,
• Karine Mougin,
• Akshata Rao,
• Enrico Gnecco,
• Shrisudersan Jayaraman and
• Hamidou Haidara

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 85–98, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.10

• similar behavior in, both, trend and activation barrier of the temperature-dependent mobility is observed for the hydrophilic OH-coated NPs. An explanation for this result may come at least partly from the complex behavior of the adsorbed (structural) water depending on temperature in the hydrophilic

• system. Beyond the observed – and rather reasonable – general trend, the strong decrease with the temperature of the energy required for particle movement, the magnitude of the activation barrier for essentially hydrophilic and hydrophobic contacts will certainly need further confirmation experiments, as