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Tuesday, 30th June 2009 (1071 views)

Gold plays a role in the accuracy of atomic force microscopes, one US nanotechnology company has stated.

According to Carbon Nanoprobes, based in Philadelphia, the precious metal is included in the microscopes to help produce a three-dimensional image of the substance being studied, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports.

The surface of a cantilever within the machine is coated with a layer of gold, which then vibrates when a tip made from carbon nanotubes is dragged over the surface of the studied matter.

This, in turn, changes the angle of the laser being used in the microscope, resulting in an image of the material being produced.

Gold has had a role in the development of a number of medical breakthroughs.

Last week, scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced they have utilised the precious metal in the development of a test for the chemical melamine, which caused a number of deaths in the country in 2008.

 

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