Quantitative nanoscale dielectric microscopy of single-layer supported biomembranes.

Fumagalli, Laura; Ferrari, Giorgio; Sampietro, Marco; Gomila, Gabriel · Nano Lett · 2009

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We present the experimental demonstration of low-frequency dielectric constant imaging of single-layer supported biomembranes at the nanoscale. The dielectric constant image has been quantitatively reconstructed by combining the thickness and local capacitance obtained using a scanning force microscope equipped with a sub-attofarad low-frequency capacitance detector. This work opens new possibilities for studying bioelectric phenomena and the dielectric properties of biological membranes at the nanoscale.

Medical subject headings