Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy?

While the atomic force microscope (AFM) is able to image mineral surfaces in solution with atomic resolution, so far, it has been a matter of debate whether imaging point defects is also possible under these conditions. The difficulties stem from the limited knowledge of what types of defects may be...

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Main Authors: Reischl, Bernhard, Raiteri, Paolo, Gale, Julian, Rohl, Andrew
Format: Journal Article
Published: The American Physical Society 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50825
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author Reischl, Bernhard
Raiteri, Paolo
Gale, Julian
Rohl, Andrew
author_facet Reischl, Bernhard
Raiteri, Paolo
Gale, Julian
Rohl, Andrew
author_sort Reischl, Bernhard
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description While the atomic force microscope (AFM) is able to image mineral surfaces in solution with atomic resolution, so far, it has been a matter of debate whether imaging point defects is also possible under these conditions. The difficulties stem from the limited knowledge of what types of defects may be stable in the presence of an AFM tip, as well as from the complicated imaging mechanism involving interactions between hydration layers over the surface and around the tip apex. Here, we present atomistic molecular dynamics and free energy calculations of the AFM imaging of vacancies and ionic substitutions in the calcite (10-14) surface in water, using a new silica AFM tip model. Our results indicate that both calcium and carbonate vacancies, as well as a magnesium substitution, could be resolved in an AFM experiment, albeit with different imaging mechanisms.
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publishDate 2016
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-508252017-09-13T15:37:42Z Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy? Reischl, Bernhard Raiteri, Paolo Gale, Julian Rohl, Andrew While the atomic force microscope (AFM) is able to image mineral surfaces in solution with atomic resolution, so far, it has been a matter of debate whether imaging point defects is also possible under these conditions. The difficulties stem from the limited knowledge of what types of defects may be stable in the presence of an AFM tip, as well as from the complicated imaging mechanism involving interactions between hydration layers over the surface and around the tip apex. Here, we present atomistic molecular dynamics and free energy calculations of the AFM imaging of vacancies and ionic substitutions in the calcite (10-14) surface in water, using a new silica AFM tip model. Our results indicate that both calcium and carbonate vacancies, as well as a magnesium substitution, could be resolved in an AFM experiment, albeit with different imaging mechanisms. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50825 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.226101 The American Physical Society fulltext
spellingShingle Reischl, Bernhard
Raiteri, Paolo
Gale, Julian
Rohl, Andrew
Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy?
title Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy?
title_full Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy?
title_fullStr Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy?
title_full_unstemmed Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy?
title_short Can Point Defects in Surfaces in Solution be Atomically Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy?
title_sort can point defects in surfaces in solution be atomically resolved by atomic force microscopy?
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50825