Application of Atomic Force Microscope in the Research of Soil Colloid Interaction

Soil colloidal particles are the basic materials that form soil aggregates and structures. The surface properties of soil colloids and the interaction of colloidal particles significantly affect both soil properties and soil fertility. Because the atomic force microscope (AFM) has nanometer-level resolution and can measure the interaction force between particles, it helps to determine the properties of soil colloids more intuitively and clarify the mechanism of soil colloids interaction. In this paper, the introduction to the working principle and characteristics of AFM was presented. On this basis, the application of AFM in measuring the surface morphology of soil colloids was given, and the elaboration on the research progress of AFM in measuring the interaction force of soil colloids was reviewed. Finally, the outlooks of the researches in this field were discussed and provided certain reference for revealing the characteristics of soil colloids and interaction mechanism.