In situ tensile testing of nanofibers by combining atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy

Nanotechnology. 2011 Sep 7;22(36):365708. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/22/36/365708. Epub 2011 Aug 16.

Abstract

A nanomechanical testing set-up is developed by integrating an atomic force microscope (AFM) for force measurements with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to provide imaging capabilities. Electrospun nanofibers of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), nylon-6 and biological mineralized collagen fibrils (MCFs) from antler bone were manipulated and tensile-tested using the AFM-SEM set-up. The complete stress-strain behavior to failure of individual nanofibers was recorded and a diversity of mechanical properties observed, highlighting how this technique is able to elucidate mechanical behavior due to structural composition at nanometer length scales.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caprolactam / analogs & derivatives
  • Caprolactam / chemistry
  • Deer
  • Fibrillar Collagens / chemistry
  • Fibrillar Collagens / ultrastructure
  • Interferometry
  • Lasers
  • Materials Testing / methods*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force / methods*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Nanofibers / chemistry*
  • Nanofibers / ultrastructure
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Polyvinyl Alcohol / chemistry
  • Tensile Strength*

Substances

  • Fibrillar Collagens
  • Polymers
  • nylon 6
  • Caprolactam
  • Polyvinyl Alcohol