This volume — drawn from the symposium held at the March 2003 ACS Meeting in New Orleans, LA — stresses the analysis of polymer and biopolymer surfaces using the ever-expanding methodologies of scanning probe microscopies. The book includes studies of optical properties by near-field methodologies, local mechanical properties of polymer films by AFM, the dynamics and mechanics of single molecules probed by AFM, and methodologies for enhanced imaging modes. A primary focus of the book is the quantitative measurement of surface properties by scanned probe techniques, which illustrates how the field has evolved and what new challenges lie ahead.

From the Preface: “...Scanned probes offer the unique ability for in situ probing of nanoscale structure and mechanical properties, which are critical aspects of many polymer systems. It is the capability of probe microscopies, and in particular atomic force microscopy (AFM), to interrogate surfaces and interfaces under physiological conditions that has opened the door to biophysical studies of the fundamental nature of proteins and other biologically relevant systems at the single-molecule level...The exploitation of AFM for direct measurements of surface mechanical properties also shows significant promise for improvements in thin film design...Many more advancements are sure to come in the near future making scanned probes ever more useful for studies of polymers and biopolymers...”

Target Audience: Students and professionals looking for studies that illustrate what types of polymer material properties can be probed by scanned probe microscopies.

Table of Contents:

Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy:

Near-Field Spectroscopic Studies of Fluorescence Quenching by Charge Carriers

Time-Resolved Fluorescence Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy Studies of Conjugated Polymer Thin Films

Exploring Dynamics in Photorefractive Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals Using Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy

Chemical Imaging of Heterogeneous Polymeric Materials with Near-Field IR Microscopy

Apertureless Scanning Near-Field IR Microscopy for Chemical Imaging of Thin Films

Measurement of the Local Diattenuation and Retardance of Thin Polymer Films Using Near-Field Polarimetry

Mechanical Studies of Polymers by Atomic Force Microscopy:

Dynamic Atomic Force Microscopy Analysis of Polymer Materials: Beyond Imaging Their Surface Morphology

Probing Nanorheological Properties of Mesoscopic Polymer Systems

Combined Atomic Force Microscopy and Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy Studies of Polyolefins and Hydrogels at Interfaces

Multilayered Nanoscale Systems and Atomic Force Microscopy Mechanical Measurements

Single-Molecule Studies:

Probing Single Polymer Chain Mechanics Using Atomic Force Microscopy

Application of Probe Microscopy to Protein Unfolding: Adsorption and Ensemble Analyses

The Use of Atomic Force Microscopy in Characterizing Ligand—Receptor Interactions

Polymer Surface Characterization by Scanned Probes:

Following Processes in Synthetic Polymers with Scanning Probe Microscopy

Conformation of Polymer Molecule via Atomic Force Microscopy

Solving Practical Problems in the Plastics Industry with Atomic Force Microscopy

Evaluation of Surface Composition in Miscible Polymer Blends by Lateral Force Microscopy

Index