Well-structured and adopting a pedagogical approach, this self-contained monograph covers the fundamentals of scanning probe microscopy,<br>showing how to use the techniques for investigating physical and chemical properties on the nanoscale and how they can be used for a wide<br>range of soft materials. It concludes with a section on the latest techniques in nanomanipulation and patterning.<br><br>This first book to focus on the applications is a must-have for both newcomers and established researchers using scanning probe microscopy<br>in soft matter research. <br><br>From the contents:<br><br>* Atomic Force Microscopy and Other Advanced Imaging Modes<br>* Probing of Mechanical, Thermal Chemical and Electrical Properties<br>* Amorphous, Poorly Ordered and Organized Polymeric Materials<br>* Langmuir-Blodgett and Layer-by-Layer Structures<br>* Multi-Component Polymer Systems and Fibers<br>* Colloids and Microcapsules<br>* Biomaterials and Biological Structures<br>* Nanolithography with Intrusive AFM Tipand Dip-Pen Nanolithography<br>* Microcantilever-Based Sensors