Open Access“May the Force Be with You!” Force–Volume Mapping with Atomic Force Microscopy
Author(s) -
Olajumoke H. Olubowale,
Samit Biswas,
Golam Azom,
Benjamin Prather,
Samuel D. Owoso,
Khaleda C. Rinee,
Karen Marroquin,
Kaelin A. Gates,
Matthew B. Chambers,
Amy Y. Xu,
Jayne C. Garno
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acs omega
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.779
H-Index - 40
ISSN - 2470-1343
DOI - 10.1021/acsomega.1c03829
Subject(s) - nanoscopic scale , viscoelasticity , nanotechnology , stiffness , microscopy , biomolecule , materials science , force spectroscopy , polymer , elasticity (physics) , atomic force microscopy , scanning probe microscopy , composite material , optics , physics
Information of the chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties of materials can be obtained using force volume mapping (FVM), a measurement mode of scanning probe microscopy (SPM). Protocols have been developed with FVM for a broad range of materials, including polymers, organic films, inorganic materials, and biological samples. Multiple force measurements are acquired with the FVM mode within a defined 3D volume of the sample to map interactions (i.e., chemical, electrical, or physical) between the probe and the sample. Forces of adhesion, elasticity, stiffness, deformation, chemical binding interactions, viscoelasticity, and electrical properties have all been mapped at the nanoscale with FVM. Subsequently, force maps can be correlated with features of topographic images for identifying certain chemical groups presented at a sample interface. The SPM tip can be coated to investigate-specific reactions; for example, biological interactions can be probed when the tip is coated with biomolecules such as for recognition of ligand-receptor pairs or antigen-antibody interactions. This review highlights the versatility and diverse measurement protocols that have emerged for studies applying FVM for the analysis of material properties at the nanoscale.