Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Infrared Spectroscopic Signatures of the Fluorous Effect Arise from a Change of Conformational Dynamics.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2025
Same author

Barrier-crossing transition-path times for non-Markovian systems.

The Journal of chemical physics·2024
Same author

Collective hydrogen-bond rearrangement dynamics in liquid water.

The Journal of chemical physics·2019
Same author

Nanoscale Structure of the Oil-Water Interface.

Physical review letters·2016
Same author

Unfolding and folding internal friction of β-hairpins is smaller than that of α-helices.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2015
Same author

Reentrant melting of RNA with quenched sequence randomness.

Physical review letters·2014
Same journal

Fiber-reinforced hydrogels: From multiscale structural design to advanced engineering applications.

Biointerphases·2026
Same journal

Development and validation of a low-cost, direct-current-based biosensor for real-time monitoring of transendothelial electrical resistance in cell barriers.

Biointerphases·2026
Same journal

Biointerfaces in India.

Biointerphases·2026
Same journal

Biomimetic illumination enhancement inspired by guanine platelets in the photophore surface of the deep-sea bristlemouth Sigmops gracilis.

Biointerphases·2026
Same journal

Binding and orientation of ice nucleating proteins on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces probed by photoelectron spectroscopies.

Biointerphases·2026
Same journal

Shell damage and mandible mechanics in the ant Messor wasmanni.

Biointerphases·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

Probing surfaces with single-polymer atomic force microscope experiments.

C Friedsam1, H E Gaub, R R Netz

  • 1DEAS and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.

Biointerphases
|April 23, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) force spectroscopy now enables detailed study of single polymer molecules. This technique measures stretching and adsorption energies, providing insights into polymer behavior.

More Related Videos

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection
05:04

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection

Published on: June 13, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection
05:04

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection

Published on: June 13, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Surface Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) force spectroscopy has emerged as a key technique for investigating single polymer molecules over the last 15 years.
  • It allows for the study of inter- and intramolecular interactions with high precision.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail the application of AFM force spectroscopy in analyzing single polymer molecule behavior.
  • To extract critical parameters such as stretching response and adsorption energies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing AFM force spectroscopy to probe single polymer molecules.
  • Employing irreversible coupling for stretching experiments up to several nN.
  • Analyzing plateau force profiles in low-friction gliding/slipping scenarios to determine adsorption energies.
  • Leveraging stable AFM tip coatings for repeated desorption experiments.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated the ability to study polymer stretching response up to the high force regime.
  • Successfully extracted polymer adsorption energies from force profile plateaus for low-friction systems.
  • Achieved reliable adsorption energy estimates through repeated desorption experiments with good sampling statistics.

Conclusions:

  • AFM force spectroscopy provides a detailed understanding of polymer conformational statistics, backbone elasticity, and adsorption characteristics.
  • The technique, combined with theoretical modeling, offers comprehensive insights into single polymer molecule behavior at the nanoscale.