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Molecular resolution images of amino acid crystals with the atomic force microscope

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Abstract

The atomic force microscope has been used to image arrays of molecules at the surface of DL-leucine crystals. Lattice spacings are consistent with X-ray diffraction data. In contrast to metals and semiconductors, the surface of these amino acid crystals seems to be a simple termination of the bulk; there is no evidence of a surface reconstruction for this molecular crystal. This initial success in imaging amino acid molecules points to the potential usefulness of atomic force microscopy for imaging molecules of biological importance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA

    Scot Gould, O. Marti, Barney Drake, Louis Hellemans, Charles E. Bracker & Paul K. Hansma

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven, B-3030, Heverlee, Belgium

    Louis Hellemans

  3. Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA

    Charles E. Bracker

  4. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA

    Nancy L. Keder, Michael M. Eddy & Galen D. Stucky

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  1. Scot Gould
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  2. O. Marti
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  3. Barney Drake
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  4. Louis Hellemans
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  5. Charles E. Bracker
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  6. Paul K. Hansma
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  7. Nancy L. Keder
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  8. Michael M. Eddy
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  9. Galen D. Stucky
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Gould, S., Marti, O., Drake, B. et al. Molecular resolution images of amino acid crystals with the atomic force microscope. Nature 332, 332–334 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/332332a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/332332a0

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