Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T13:07:06.274Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Combined AFM-SEM for mechanical testing of fibrous biological materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Fei Hang ,
Dun Lu  and
Asa H Barber
Fei Hang
Affiliation:
[email protected], Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Materials Research & School of Engineering and Materials Science, London, United Kingdom
Dun Lu
Affiliation:
[email protected], Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Materials Research & School of Engineering and Materials Science, London, United Kingdom
Asa H Barber
Affiliation:
[email protected], Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Materials Research & School of Engineering and Materials Science, London, United Kingdom
Get access

Abstract

A technique combining both atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to evaluate the mechanical properties of individual collagen fibrils from the fractured surface of antler. SEM is used to locate individual mineralized collagen fibrils and allow visualization of the attachment of these fibrils to the end of an AFM probe. Tensile testing of individual collagen fibril to failure was performed using the AFM with resultant stress-strain curves obtained. Tensile strengths of up to 0.18GPa are found for some individual collagen fibrils, indicating the presence of mineral in improving mechanical performance. Consideration of the SEM operating parameters indicates that the amount of time the sample is within the SEM vacuum can affect the resultant mechanical behavior of individual fibrils.

Keywords

bonenanoscalescanning probe microscopy (SPM)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1187: Symposium KK – Structure-Property Relationships in Biomineralized and Biomimetic Composites , 2009 , 1187-KK06-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Weiner, S., Wagner, H. D., Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 28 (1998) 271 10.1146/annurev.matsci.28.1.271Google Scholar
2 Bozec, L., Horton, M., Biophys. J. 88 (2005), 4223 10.1529/biophysj.104.055228Google Scholar
3 Graham, J. S., Vomund, A. N., Phillips, C. L., Grandbois, M., Expt. Cell Res. 299 (2004), 335 10.1016/j.yexcr.2004.05.022Google Scholar
4 Rijt, J. A. J. van der, Werf, K. O. van der, Bennink, M. L., Dijkstra, P. J. J. Feijen, Macromol. Biosci. 6 (2006), 697 10.1002/mabi.200600063Google Scholar
5 Shen, Z. L., Dodge, M. R., Kahn, H., Ballarini, R., Eppell, S. J., Biophys. J. 95 (2008), 3956 10.1529/biophysj.107.124602Google Scholar