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Micromechanical Testing of Individual Collagen Fibrils
Author(s) -
van der Rijt Joost A. J.,
van der Werf Kees O.,
Bennink Martin L.,
Dijkstra Pieter J.,
Feijen Jan
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.200600063
Subject(s) - fibril , collagen fibril , epoxy , atomic force microscopy , composite material , materials science , modulus , dynamic mechanical analysis , elastic modulus , force spectroscopy , chemistry , nanotechnology , polymer , biophysics , biochemistry , biology
Summary: A novel method based on AFM was used to attach individual collagen fibrils between a glass surface and the AFM tip, to allow force spectroscopy studies of these. The fibrils were deposited on glass substrates that are partly coated with Teflon AF®. A modified AFM tip was used to accurately deposit epoxy glue droplets on either end of the collagen fibril that cross the glass‐Teflon AF® interface, as to such attach it with one end to the glass and the other end to the AFM tip. Single collagen fibrils have been mechanically tested in ambient conditions and were found to behave reversibly up to stresses of 90 MPa. Within this regime a Young's modulus of 2–7 GPa was obtained. In aqueous media, the collagen fibrils could be tested reversibly up to about 15 MPa, revealing Young's moduli ranging from 0.2 to at most 0.8 GPa.