Correlative atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of bacteria-diamond-metal nanocomposites

This research, published in the Ultramicroscopy journal, showcases a groundbreaking approach to investigating the intricate interplay between biological organisms and nanomaterials. The study employs the AFM-in-SEM LiteScope, a state-of-the-art instrument combining atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for unparalleled insights.

Focusing on bacteria-diamond-metal nanocomposites crucial to contemporary life science research, researchers demonstrate a novel methodology correlating AFM microscopic topography with SEM's chemical, material, and morphological information. The integration produces intricate 3D correlative probe-electron microscopy (CPEM) images, offering a comprehensive view of the nanoscale interactions.

Key advancements include a sophisticated 3D RGB color image algorithm, merging multiple SEM datasets with AFM surface topography. This reveals nuanced details of the microscopic interaction between diamond-metal nanocomposites and bacteria, surpassing the limits of individual analyses.

The methodology is further validated through in-situ and ex-situ chemical characterizations, including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and micro-Raman analysis, alongside force volume AFM analysis for precision.

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