Dear friend Aiman Shamim
To determine particle size by AFM images, you need to follow some steps:
- First, you need to prepare your sample by adhering it rigidly and properly dispersing it on a smooth substrate (A Guide to AFM Image...). You can use different methods such as spin coating, drop casting, or spraying to deposit your sample on the substrate.
- Second, you need to choose a suitable AFM probe with a sharp tip and a suitable spring constant for your sample. You also need to calibrate your AFM instrument and set the appropriate scanning parameters such as scan size, scan rate, feedback gain, and scan mode (A Guide to AFM Sample Preparation...., and AFM Analysis Of Nanoparticles......).
- Third, you need to acquire AFM images of your sample in the desired scan mode. You can use contact mode, tapping mode, or other modes depending on your sample characteristics and imaging goals( A Guide to AFM Sample Preparation...... and Atomic Force Microscopy.....).
- Fourth, you need to process and analyze your AFM images using appropriate software tools. You can use different methods such as thresholding, water-shedding, or Hessian blob algorithm to detect and segment individual particles from the background (Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).....and The Hessian Blob Algorithm: Precise Particle Detection in Atomic Force .... ). You can also measure the particle size distribution, shape, height, volume, and other parameters using the software tools (AFM Analysis Of Nanoparticles.........).
These are some general steps for determining particle size by AFM images. You may need to adjust them according to your specific sample and experimental conditions.
Source:
(1) A Guide to AFM Sample Preparation - AZoNano.com. https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6226.
(2) 9.2: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) - Chemistry LibreTexts. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Analytical_Chemistry/Physical_Methods_in_Chemistry_and_Nano_Science_(Barron)/09%3A_Surface_Morphology_and_Structure/9.02%3A_Atomic_Force_Microscopy_(AFM).
(3) AFM Analysis Of Nanoparticles - Atomic Force Microscopy. https://www.afmworkshop.com/applications/research/atomic-force-microscopes-for-nanoparticles-characterization.
(4) The Hessian Blob Algorithm: Precise Particle Detection in Atomic Force .... https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-19379-x.
(5) A Guide to AFM Image Artifacts Page 1 - uni-wuerzburg.de. https://www.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/fileadmin/physik-fpraktikum/2020/AFM/AFM_Bild-Artefakte.pdf.
Some pictorial sources can be found here:
particle size AFM - google image
Usually I drop the powder into the liquid (HHO, isopropyl, C2H5OH), shake it with ultrasound and then pour it over the mica (mica = atomic flat surface). I'm waiting for it to dry. I watch with either sharpened probes or standard ones. Simple, fast, clever, just AFM ;)
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