AFM nanoscale indentation in air of polymeric and hybrid materials with highly different stiffness
Abstract(#br)In this study, nanomechanical properties of a variety of polymeric materials was investigated by means of AFM. In particular, selecting different AFM probes, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) bulk samples, sol–gel hybrid thin films and hydrated hyaluronic acid hydrogels were indented in air to determine the elastic modulus. The force–distance curves and the indentation data were found to be greatly affected by the cantilever stiffness and by tip geometry.