Developments and perspectives of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) on organic materials systems

In this paper recent developments in scanning probe microscopy ( SPM ) on organic materials are reviewed with selected examples. Presented subjects include instrumentation and particularities in connection with SPM imaging on soft organic materials. Exemplary cases of structure-properties investigations with SPM in organic materials science including amorphous polymers, polymer crystal growth effects, interface structure and stability, spinodal decomposition effects, copolymer and liquid crystal (LC) nanophase separation, LC phase transitions on a molecular scale, molecular manipulation as well as structure and properties of other organic materials are presented. Naturally, this paper cannot review all papers published about SPM on organic materials. Rather, main principles and problems as well as the strategy of probe microscopy on organic materials is elucidated with selected examples. SPM is shown to be an effective and forceful organic materials analytic tool for the materials scientist.