| Abstract: | X-ray and electron crystallography of polymethylene chain compounds are known to be hindered by the very strong scattering from a dominant sublattice, and the use of high-resolution electron microscopy is severely limited by radiation damage. This study shows that these problems may be overcome by using highresolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. The work was performed on four types of linear alkane crystal, namely n-C26H54, n-C30H62, n-C36H74 and n-C44H90, of different molecular lengths. They were prepared by vapour deposition and from solution and deposited on mica and on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. The results show that firstly AFM may complement, at a molecular and a submolecular level, the data provided by X-ray and electron crystallography, secondly alkane crystals may be prepared with different orientations and the type of substrate has no influence, and thirdly AFM may be used to induce orientational and conformational changes. |
