Methodological Aspects of Obtaining and Characterizing Composites Based on Biogenic Diatomaceous Silica and Epoxy Resins.

Diatomaceous earth are sediments of unicellular algal skeletons with a well-defined hierarchical structure. Despite many tests conducted on systems using diatomaceous earth and epoxy resins, we can find many differences in the methods of acquisition and characteristics of the composite, which may considerably affect the results. In our study, we have conducted tests to verify the impact of the method of obtaining samples and the degassing of the composite on its mechanical properties and standard deviation.

Development of DNA aptamer-based sensor for electrochemical detection of C-reactive protein.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a crucial biomarker of cardiovascular diseases and for its detection both optical and electrochemical techniques were applied. This study concerns the application of DNA aptamer as recognition layer for CRP detection. For that purpose aptamer immobilization method on gold surface was selected and the content of receptor layer was optimized to ensure an efficient binding to target protein.

Phase imaging quality improvement by modification of AFM probes' cantilever.

Imaging of the surface of materials by atomic force microscopy under tapping and phase imaging mode, with use of modified probes is addressed. In this study, the circularly shaped holes located in varying distance from the probe base, were cut out by focused ion beam. Such modification was a consequence of the results of the previous experiments (probe tip sharpening and cantilever thinning) where significant improvement of image quality in tapping and phase imaging mode has been revealed.

Quantitative imaging of electrospun fibers by PeakForce Quantitative NanoMechanics atomic force microscopy using etched scanning probes.

Electrospun polymeric submicron and nanofibers can be used as tissue engineering scaffolds in regenerative medicine. In physiological conditions fibers are subjected to stresses and strains from the surrounding biological environment. Such stresses can cause permanent deformation or even failure to their structure.

Imaging resolution of AFM with probes modified with FIB.

This study concerns imaging of the structure of materials using AFM tapping (TM) and phase imaging (PI) mode, using probes modified with focused ion beam (FIB). Three kinds of modifications were applied - thinning of the cantilever, sharpening of the tip and combination of these two modifications. Probes shaped in that way were used for AFM investigations with Bruker AFM Nanoscope 8.