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Updated: May 25, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid
Published on: December 2, 2022
Sliding velocity dependence of adhesion in a nanometer-sized contact
Olivier Noel1, Pierre-Emmanuel Mazeran, Hussein Nasrallah
1LPEC, UMR CNRS 6087, Molecular Landscapes and Biophotonic Skyline Group, Université du Maine, Le Mans, France. olivier.noel@univ-lemans.fr
Abstract:
The influence of sliding velocity on the adhesion force in a nanometer-sized contact was investigated with a novel atomic force microscope experimental setup that allows measuring adhesion forces while the probe is sliding at continuous and constant velocities. For hydrophobic surfaces, the adhesion forces (mainly van der Waals forces) remain constant, whereas for hydrophilic surfaces, adhesion forces (mainly capillary forces) decrease linearly with a logarithmic increase of the sliding velocity. The experimental data are well explained by a model based on a thermally activated growth process of a capillary meniscus.
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