Imaging nanometer- or molecule-scale topography has been achieved by dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM) when a solid object of interest is damaged by vacuum exposure or electron irradiation. Imaging in a liquid offers a means to remove contaminations from the surface scanned using the microscope tip when the object is soluble to the surrounding liquid, typically water. In the present study, we attempted to take topographic images of crystalline sucrose. A problem arose due to the high solubility of this compound to water. Cantilever oscillation could not be excited in the saturated, viscous aqueous solution. By using n-hexanol instead of water, the solubility in the solvent and thus viscosity of the solution were reduced sufficiently to excite cantilever oscillation. Single-height steps and sucrose molecules were recognized in the images and thereby recorded on the (001)-oriented facets of sucrose crystals. Furthermore, two-dimensional distribution of liquid-induced force pushing or pulling the tip was mapped on planes perpendicular to the hexanol-sucrose interface. Observed uneven force distributions indicated liquid hexanol structured on the corrugated surface of sucrose. The viscosity tuning demonstrated here, which is not limited to hexanol instead of water, extends the range of liquid-solid interfaces to be probed by dynamic AFM.

中文翻译：

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酒精中结晶蔗糖的原子力显微镜成像。

当感兴趣的固体物体被真空曝光或电子辐照损坏时，可以通过动态原子力显微镜（AFM）实现纳米级或分子级成像成像。当物体可溶于周围的液体（通常是水）时，在液体中成像可提供一种从显微镜尖端扫描的表面去除污染物的方法。在本研究中，我们尝试拍摄结晶蔗糖的地形图。由于该化合物对水的高溶解度而引起问题。在饱和的粘性水溶液中无法激发悬臂振荡。通过使用正己醇代替水，可充分降低其在溶剂中的溶解度并因此降低溶液的粘度，以激发悬臂振动。在图像中识别出单高度台阶和蔗糖分子，从而将其记录在蔗糖晶体的（001）取向面上。此外，在垂直于己醇-蔗糖界面的平面上绘制了液体诱导的推动或拉动尖端的力的二维分布。观察到的不均匀力分布表明在蔗糖的波纹表面上结构化的液体己醇。此处展示的粘度调节不仅限于水而不是己醇，还扩展了动态AFM探测的液固界面的范围。观察到的不均匀力分布表明在蔗糖的波纹表面上结构化的液体己醇。此处展示的粘度调节不仅限于水而不是己醇，还扩展了动态AFM探测的液固界面的范围。观察到的不均匀力分布表明在蔗糖的波纹表面上结构化的液体己醇。此处展示的粘度调节不仅限于水而不是己醇，还扩展了动态AFM探测的液固界面的范围。