Solvation Forces and Contact Mechanics at the Nanometer Scale in Molecular Liquids

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Enhanced quality factors and force sensitivity by attaching magnetic beads to cantilevers for atomic force microscopy in liquid

Dynamic-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) in liquid remains complicated due to the strong viscous damping of the cantilever resonance. Here we show that a high-quality resonance (Q>20) can be achieved in aqueous solution by attaching a microgram-bead at the end of the nanogram-cantilever. The resulting increase in cantilever mass causes the resonance frequency to drop significantly. However, the force sensitivity --- as expressed via the minimum detectable force gradient --- is hardly affected, because of the enhanced quality factor. Via the enhancement of the quality factor, the attached bead also reduces the relative importance of noise in the deflection detector. It can thus yield an improved signal-to-noise ratio when this detector noise is significant. We describe and analyze these effects for a set-up which includes magnetic actuation of the cantilevers and which can be easily implemented in any AFM system that is compatible with an inverted optical microscope.Comment: The following article has been accepted by Journal of Applied Physics. After it is published, it will be found at http://jap.aip.org

Towards an improved understanding of plasticity, friction and wear mechanisms in precipitate containing AZ91 Mg alloy

This work reports a combined experimental and atomistic simulation study on continuous precipitates (CPs) and discontinuous precipitates (DPs) affecting the scratch induced wear in AZ91 magnesium alloy. Nanoscratching experiments complemented by atomic simulations were performed to understand the directional dependence and origins of plasticity, friction and wear mechanisms as benchmarked to nanocrystalline HCP magnesium. Post scratch deformation analysis was performed using electron back scattering diffraction, scanning electron microscope and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The direction of orientation of the precipitates was observed to make a significant influence on the deformation behaviour. For example, regardless of the precipitates type (CP or DP), a ductile-brittle transition becomes pronounced while scratching along the direction (orientation) of precipitates, whilst a fully ductile response was obtained while scratching along the direction normal to the precipitates. However, regardless of the direction of orientation, DPs showed a higher wear resistance and coefficient of friction compared to the CPs. These observations were supported by the quantitative analysis of the planar defects such as coherent twins, extrinsic and intrinsic stacking faults in the deformation zone as well as 1/3〈11¯00〉" role="presentation"> ( and 1/3〈12¯10〉" role="presentation"> dislocations type extracted from the MD analysis.These observations will facilitate an improved design of AZ91 alloys in particular and intermetallic precipitate containing alloys in general

Quantized Friction across Ionic Liquid Thin Films

Ionic liquids, salts in the liquid state under ambient conditions, are of great interest as precision lubricants. Ionic liquids form layered structures at surfaces, yet it is not clear how this nano-structure relates to their lubrication properties. We measured the friction force between atomically smooth solid surfaces across ionic liquid films of controlled thickness in terms of the number of ion layers. Multiple friction-load regimes emerge, each corresponding to a different number of ion layers in the film. In contrast to molecular liquids, the friction coefficients differ for each layer due to their varying composition

Atomic Friction Investigations on Ordered Superstructures

We review recent friction measurements on ordered superstructures performed by atomic force microscopy. In particular, we consider ultrathin KBr films on NaCl(001) and Cu(001) surfaces, single and bilayer graphene on SiC(0001), and the herringbone reconstruction of Au(111). Atomically resolved friction images of these systems show periodic features spanning across several unit cells. Although the physical mechanisms responsible for the formation of these superstructures are quite different, the experimental results can be interpreted within the same phenomenological framework. A comparison between experiments and modeling shows that, in the cases of KBr films on NaCl(001) and of graphene films, the tip-surface interaction is well described by a potential with the periodicity of the substrate which is modulated or, respectively, superimposed with a potential with the symmetry of the superstructur

Cooling rate effects on the structure of 45S5 bioglass: Insights from experiments and simulations

Due to its ability to bond with living tissues upon dissolution, 45S5 bioglass and related compositions materials are extensively used for the replacement, regeneration, and repair of hard tissues in the human body. However, the details of its atomic structure remain debated. This is partially due to the non-equilibrium nature of glasses, as their non-crystalline structure is highly dependent on their thermal history, namely, the cooling rate used during quenching. Herein, combining molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with cooling rates ranging over several orders of magnitude and experimental studies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we investigate the structure of the nominal 45S5 bioglass composition. These results suggest that the MD simulation results when extrapolated to experimental cooling rates can provide a reasonable estimate of the structure of 45S5 bioglass. Finally, based on these results, we suggest the propensity of the phosphate group to form isolated orthophosphate species. Overall, these results reconcile the simulation and experimental results on the structure of 45S5 bioglass, and particularly on the speciation of the phosphate group, which may be key in controlling the bioactivity of 45S5 bioglass