EP41S-1HT: Used to Attach Individual Polystyrene Microspheres to an AFM Cantilever to Measure Particle-Surface Interaction Forces

Overview of EP41S-1HT

Master Bond EP41S-1HT is a two-component epoxy resin system designed for high-performance bonding, sealing, coating, and encapsulation. It provides excellent resistance to a wide array of chemicals, including saline solutions, and its strong adhesion to a wide variety of materials makes it ideal for bonding dissimilar materials. Its resistance to saline solutions and its ability to bond dissimilar substrates made it an ideal choice for adhering individual polystyrene (PS) microparticles to the tip of an AFM cantilever for interaction force measurements.

Application

Microplastics are found throughout the environment and can be removed using adsorption-based processes. However, designing an optimal adsorbent requires understanding intermolecular interactions between absorbent surfaces and aged microplastics, whose physicochemical properties may differ from those of pristine microplastics due to processes such as UV aging. 

To quantitatively describe interaction forces between aged polystyrene microparticles and self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-functionalized surfaces, researchers at the University of Alberta used colloidal probe atomic force microscopy (AFM), complemented by QCM measurements. In this approach, the authors attached individual polystyrene microspheres to an AFM cantilever using EP41S-1HT to measure these interaction forces in both acidic (HCl) and basic (NaOH) saline solutions.

To read about the key parameters, requirements, and results, please download the full case study.

Download full case study

Reference

Yang, L.; Wang, Y.; Sun, Y.; Qiu, X.; Huang, P.; Peng, Q.; Chu, Y.; Zhou, Q.; Zhao, Z.; Macauley, M. S.; Chen, L.; Zeng, H. Molecular Mechanisms Governing the Adsorption, Deposition, and Removal of Environmentally Aged Microplastics by Engineered Surfaces. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2026, 60 (12), 9660–9671.