2.2.7. Atomic Force Microscopy

For the atomic force microscopy, NE sample (diluted in ultra-pure water in 1:1000, v/v ratio) was placed onto mica plate (Highest Grade V1 AFM Mica Discs, Ted Pella Inc., Redding, CA, USA) and dried under vacuum to remove the excess water. NTEGRA prima atomic force microscope (NT-MDT) was used to inspect the morphology, shape, size, and distribution of the NE droplets. The intermittent-contact AFM mode was used, due to the samples’ fragility. NT-MDT NSGO1 rectangular silicon cantilevers with Au-reflective film were used for this purpose. Nominal resonant frequency of these cantilevers is 150 kHz, while nominal force constant is 5.1 N/m. Image Analysis 2.2.0 (NT-MDT) software was used to process the obtained data.