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The coexistence in the same membrane of nanoscopic domains with different crystal structures, as predicted by molecular dynamics modelling, is here experimentally demonstrated for the first time by direct imaging. These domains have been induced in liposomes made of PLPC (1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-phosphatidylcholine) by adding different amounts of cardiolipin (tetra-acyl-diphosphatidyl-glycerol) during preparation. It has also been found that the process of controlled lipid peroxidation deletes the lateral phase separations. All these results, obtained with atomic force microscopy, provide experimental evidence for the hydrophobic mismatch theory of lateral phase separation phenomena. The images, taken in a liquid cell, show a spatial resolution to better than 0.4 nm.

The correlation between electric force inicroscopy (EFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques provided interpretation of the contrast features of electric force images and gave an insight into the two-dimensional (2D) electrical transport properties of RuO2-based thick film resistors (TFRs). From the comparison between EFM, tapping-mode atomic force microscopy, SEM (secondary electrons, specimen current and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy) of TFRs on the same specimen area, it turned out that the conduction mechanism was related to the grain size and to how RuO2 crystals were distributed in the glassy matrix. Dark areas in EFM images corresponded to conductive-insulating interfaces. In SEM the same areas were the interfaces between the RuO2 crystals and the insulating matrix. The 2D percolative path of the electrical current near the surface was observed in connection with the net of RuO2 grains not homogeneously dispersed in the insulating matrix.