My research activities are mainly focused on nanosciences and nanotechnologies. Since about 30 years, I develop and apply scanning probe microscopies (scanning tunnelling microscopy, STM, and atomic force microscopy, AFM) for the study of material surfaces, especially polymers, and to nanomaterials. It includes the measurement and mapping of the surface mechanical properties of organic surfaces and of the mechanical properties of nanomaterials (nanomechanics), the mapping of surface physico-chemical properties, surface chemical functionalization (nanochemistry), the measurement and mapping of electrical, electronic, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of (hybrid) nanostructures (nanophysics).
Those activities quickly summarised and illustrated in the next pages. I also list the persons I am presently working with and the SPM equipments presently available for my group.