Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 60: Molecular and Polymer Dynamics, Friction and Rheology II

CPP 60.3: Talk

Friday, March 13, 2026, 12:45–13:00, HÜL/S386

Maps of High Viscoelastic Properties Generated with an Instrument Combining a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) with an AFM — •Cedric Jünemann, Diethelm Johannsmann, and Arne Langhoff — Clausthal University of Technology, Instutite of Physical Chemistry, Arnold-Sommerfeld-Straße 4, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld

We present an instrument, which images the high-frequency viscoelastic properties of various samples. The instrument combines an atomic force microscope (AFM) with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Imaging becomes possible by a fast measurement of a resonator’s frequency and bandwidth, achieved with a multi-frequency lockin amplifier (MLA). The MLA tracks multiple overtones simultaneously. To improve contrast and to facilitate quantitative interpretation, the colloidal force probe configuration was used. The cantilever was modified by gluing a glass sphere with a diameter of 50 µm to the tip, thereby increasing the contact radius to a few hundred nanometers. The sphere is heavy enough to clamped in place by inertia, which simplifies the analysis. A quantitative interpretation can rely on ratios between the different QCM signals, which eliminates the unknown contact area from the analysis. Printed drops and a biofilm composed of yeast were chosen for demonstration. This approach provides for a flexible method to investigate viscoelastic properties on the nanoscale at high frequencies.

Keywords: QCM-D; AFM; High-frequency contact mechanics