Exploring the complex mechanical properties of xanthan scaffolds by AFM-based force spectroscopy

• Hao Liang,
• Guanghong Zeng,
• Yinli Li,
• Shuai Zhang,
• Huiling Zhao,
• Lijun Guo,
• Bo Liu and
• Mingdong Dong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 365–373, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.42

• structures were investigated by using AFM-based force spectroscopy (FS). In this work, three types of structures in the xanthan scaffold were identified based on three types of FS stretching events. The fact that the complex force responses are the combinations of different types of stretching events

• suggests complicated intermolecular interactions among xanthan fibrils. The results provide crucial information to understand the structures and mechanical properties of the xanthan scaffold. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); force spectroscopy (FS); mechanical properties; xanthan scaffold

• morphologies of xanthan-based materials, such as fibrils, networks [4] and ring-like structures [5], have been revealed by AFM imaging. Furthermore, AFM is a powerful tool for studying the mechanical properties on the nanoscale. AFM-based force spectroscopy (FS) has been applied to investigate the fingerprint