Atomic force microscopy of molecular and dynamic properties of sucrose crystals

The growth of sucrose crystals has been the subject of numerous studies for a long time. Microscopes that have been applied in these studies were limited by their failure to resolve molecular structures or they were unable to image the dynamics of processes in-situ. Since its introduction in 1986 the atomic force microscope (AFM) has become one of the most prominent scanning near field microscopes, because it can overcome the limitations mentioned above. Atomic force microscopy has been used to investigate the (100) plane of sucrose crystals. Resolution up to the molecular lattice could be achieved and the dissolution of individual molecular layers at the surface of a sucrose crystal monitored. The dissolution occurs by a steady motion of monomolecular steps in butanol, but the step speed increases greatly if ethanol is used as a solvent.