scholarly journals Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping of Polyolefin Elastomer at Nanoscale with Atomic Force Microscopy

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuting Zhang ◽  
Yihui Weng ◽  
Chunhua Ma

AbstractElastomeric nanostructures are normally expected to fulfill an explicit mechanical role and therefore their mechanical properties are pivotal to affect material performance. Their versatile applications demand a thorough understanding of the mechanical properties. In particular, the time dependent mechanical response of low-density polyolefin (LDPE) has not been fully elucidated. Here, utilizing state-of-the-art PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical mapping jointly with force volume and fast force volume, the elastic moduli of LDPE samples were assessed in a time-dependent fashion. Specifically, the acquisition frequency was discretely changed four orders of magnitude from 0.1 up to 2 k Hz. Force data were fitted with a linearized DMT contact mechanics model considering surface adhesion force. Increased Young’s modulus was discovered with increasing acquisition frequency. It was measured 11.7 ± 5.2 MPa at 0.1 Hz and increased to 89.6 ± 17.3 MPa at 2 kHz. Moreover, creep compliance experiment showed that instantaneous elastic modulus E1, delayed elastic modulus E2, viscosity η, retardation time τ were 22.3 ± 3.5 MPa, 43.3 ± 4.8 MPa, 38.7 ± 5.6 MPa s and 0.89 ± 0.22 s, respectively. The multiparametric, multifunctional local probing of mechanical measurement along with exceptional high spatial resolution imaging open new opportunities for quantitative nanomechanical mapping of soft polymers, and can potentially be extended to biological systems.

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (15) ◽  
pp. 2065-2071 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Subbir Parvej ◽  
Xinnan Wang ◽  
Joseph Fehrenbach ◽  
Chad A Ulven

Kenaf ( Hibiscus cannabinus L.) fiber is being extensively used as a reinforcement material in composites due to its excellent mechanical properties. To use this fiber more efficiently, it is necessary to understand its mechanical properties at micro/nano meter scale. Despite the evidence of some past studies to determine the elastic modulus of kenaf fiber, most of them were performed on fiber bundles. Bundle-based method to find the elastic moduli has some obvious issues of foreign materials being present, incorrect gauge length, and sample diameter due to void spaces. These issues pose as obvious hurdles to determine the elastic modulus accurately. In this study, individual kenaf micro fiber was used to find elastic modulus in the radial direction. The radial elastic modulus of the fiber was characterized by atomic force microscopy-based nanoindentation. To determine the radial elastic modulus from the force versus sample deformation data, the extended Johnson–Kendall–Roberts model was used which considered adhesion force from the fiber surface. The radial elastic modulus of the kenaf fiber was found to be 2.3 GPa.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Friedrich ◽  
Brunero Cappella

When compliant samples such as polymer films are scanned with an atomic force microscope (AFM) in contact mode, a periodic ripple pattern can be induced on the sample. In the present paper, friction and mechanical properties of such ripple structures on films of polystyrene (PS) and poly-n-(butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA) are investigated. Force volume measurements allow a quantitative analysis of the elastic moduli with nanometer resolution, showing a contrast in mechanical response between bundles and troughs. Additionally, analysis of the lateral cantilever deflection when scanning on pre-machined ripples shows a clear correlation between friction and the sample topography. Those results support the theory of crack propagation and the formation of voids as a mechanism responsible for the formation of ripples. This paper also shows the limits of the presented measuring methods for soft, compliant, and small structures. Special care must be taken to ensure that the analysis is not affected by artefacts.


Soft Matter ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 4487-4495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Schäfer ◽  
Marian Vache ◽  
Torben-Tobias Kliesch ◽  
Andreas Janshoff

Mechanical properties of giant liposomes with actin cortices are determined with atomic force microscopy.


Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 358
Author(s):  
Hongling Zhang ◽  
Jinshao Ye ◽  
Huaming Qin ◽  
Xujun Liang ◽  
Yan Long

Triphenyltin (TPT) has severely polluted the environment, and it often coexists with metal ions, such as Cu2+. This paper describes the cell’s molecular recognition of TPT, the interaction between TPT recognition and Cu2+ biosorption, and their effect on cell permeability. We studied the recognition of TPT by Bacillus thuringiensis cells and the effect of TPT recognition on Cu2+ biosorption by using atomic force microscopy to observe changes in cell surface mechanical properties and cellular morphology and by using flow cytometry to determine the cell growth status and cell permeability. The results show that B. thuringiensis can quickly recognize different media. The adhesion force of cells in contact with Tween 80 was significantly reduced to levels that were much lower than that of cells in contact with PBS. Conversely, the cell surface adhesion force increased as TPT became more degraded. B. thuringiensis cells maintained their original morphology after 48 h of TPT treatment. The amount of Cu2+ adsorption by TPT-treated cells was positively correlated with the surface adhesion force (r = 0.966, P = 0.01). The cell adhesion force significantly decreased after Cu2+ adsorption, and cell recognition of TPT and/or Cu2+ hindered the entrance of 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) into the cell. The initial diffusion time of DCFH-DA into cells treated by PBS, Cu2+, TPT, and TPT+Cu2+ was 4, 10, 30, and 30 min, respectively, and the order of the fluorescence intensity was PBS >> Cu2+ > TPT > TPT+Cu2+. We conclude that changes in the cell surface properties of the microbe during recognition of pollutants depend on the contaminant’s properties. B. thuringiensis recognized TPT and secreted intracellular substances that not only enhanced the adsorption of Cu2+, but also formed a “barrier” on the cell surface that reduced permeability. These findings provide a novel insight into the mechanism of microbial removal of pollutants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 900-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Yue Shen ◽  
Xingya Wang ◽  
Zhiwei Shen ◽  
Bin Li ◽  
...  

The detection of local dielectric properties is of great importance in a wide variety of scientific studies and applications. Here, we report a novel method for the characterization of local dielectric distributions based on surface adhesion mapping by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The two-dimensional (2D) materials graphene oxide (GO), and partially reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which have similar thicknesses but large differences in their dielectric properties, were studied as model systems. Through direct imaging of the samples with a biased AFM tip in PeakForce Quantitative Nano-Mechanics (PF-QNM) mode, the local dielectric properties of GO and RGO were revealed by mapping their surface adhesion forces. Thus, GO and RGO could be conveniently differentiated. This method provides a simple and general approach for the fast characterization of the local dielectric properties of graphene-based materials and will further facilitate their applications in energy generation and storage devices.


2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 838-841
Author(s):  
Allen T. Chien ◽  
Tom Felter ◽  
James D. LeMay ◽  
Mehdi Balooch

The local mechanical properties of silica-reinforced silicone composites were investigated using a modified atomic force microscopy technique. Elastic modulus measurements (1.5 ± 0.1 MPa) are consistent with bulk measurements (1.9 MPa), and changes in the modulus at the surface of the composite samples (E = 1.5 to 3.5 MPa) were observed as a result of α-irradiation (dose = 1.7 × 1010 to 2.0 × 1012 α/cm2). The sensitivity of the technique was demonstrated by a detectable change in modulus at even the small dose of 1.7 × 1010 α/cm2. The penetration depth of the α-particles into the material, estimated to be 22 ± 2 μm from the sample edge, was determined by cross-section depth profiling; and modeling of the ion penetration depth using transport of ions in matter codes (24.4 ± 0.4 μm) closely matched experimental observations.


Holzforschung ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 975-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Ren ◽  
Hankun Wang ◽  
Zixuan Yu ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Yan Yu

Abstract The mechanical properties of cell wall layers of bamboo fibers (BFs) and the interphase between BFs and maleated polypropylene polymer (MAPP) were investigated by means of peakforce quantitative nanomechanics based on atomic force microscopy. This technique is well suited for simultaneous imaging of several important material indicators, such as elastic modulus, deformation at peak force, and adhesion force between probe tip and sample. Furthermore, quantitative local mechanical information could be extracted from the obtained images by means of profile analysis. In case of BFs, the elastic modulus of the secondary cell wall and the compound middle lamella was found to be 21.3±2.9 GPa and 14.4±3.6 GPa, respectively, which agrees well with data measured by the nanoindentation technique. Additionally, this technique was also applied for bamboo plastic composites, and data from the transitional zone (interphase) between BFs and the MAPP matrix, with a thickness of 102±18 nm, could be obtained.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Wenderott ◽  
Carmen G. Flesher ◽  
Nicki A. Baker ◽  
Christopher K. Neeley ◽  
Oliver A. Varban ◽  
...  

AbstractObesity-related type 2 diabetes (DM) is a major public health concern. Adipose tissue metabolic dysfunction, including fibrosis, plays a central role in DM pathogenesis. Obesity is associated with changes in adipose tissue extracellular matrix (ECM), but the impact of these changes on adipose tissue mechanics and their role in metabolic disease is poorly defined. This study utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to quantify difference in elasticity between human DM and non-diabetic (NDM) visceral adipose tissue. The mean elastic modulus of DM adipose tissue was twice that of NDM adipose tissue (11.50 kPa vs. 4.48 kPa) to a 95% confidence level, with significant variability in elasticity of DM compared to NDM adipose tissue. Histologic and chemical measures of fibrosis revealed increased hydroxyproline content in DM adipose tissue, but no difference in Sirius Red staining between DM and NDM tissues. These findings support the hypothesis that fibrosis, evidenced by increased elastic modulus, is enhanced in DM adipose tissue, and suggest that measures of tissue mechanics may better resolve disease-specific differences in adipose tissue fibrosis compared with histologic measures. These data demonstrate the power of AFM nanoindentation to probe tissue mechanics, and delineate the impact of metabolic disease on the mechanical properties of adipose tissue.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (4) ◽  
pp. C1219-C1227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy M. Collinsworth ◽  
Sarah Zhang ◽  
William E. Kraus ◽  
George A. Truskey

The effect of differentiation on the transverse mechanical properties of mammalian myocytes was determined by using atomic force microscopy. The apparent elastic modulus increased from 11.5 ± 1.3 kPa for undifferentiated myoblasts to 45.3 ± 4.0 kPa after 8 days of differentiation ( P< 0.05). The relative contribution of viscosity, as determined from the normalized hysteresis area, ranged from 0.13 ± 0.02 to 0.21 ± 0.03 and did not change throughout differentiation. Myosin expression correlated with the apparent elastic modulus, but neither myosin nor β-tubulin were associated with hysteresis. Microtubules did not affect mechanical properties because treatment with colchicine did not alter the apparent elastic modulus or hysteresis. Treatment with cytochalasin D or 2,3-butanedione 2-monoxime led to a significant reduction in the apparent elastic modulus but no change in hysteresis. In summary, skeletal muscle cells exhibited viscoelastic behavior that changed during differentiation, yielding an increase in the transverse elastic modulus. Major contributors to changes in the transverse elastic modulus during differentiation were actin and myosin.


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