Speaker
Manuel Rainer
(uni_innsbruck)
Description
In force spectroscopy of chemical bonds, single molecule chains are being stretched using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Strong surface anchors are required to address covalent bonds. Here acid chloride anchors are tested, featuring a very reactive functional group. Rupture force and rupture length of stretched polyethylene glycol was measured. The slope of the force curves is used to derive the elasticity of the molecule, which in turn yields the length and thus the molecular weight distribution for the stretched molecules. A comparison with the molecular weight distribution provided by the manufacturer shows that indeed polyethylene glycol molecules are stretched.
Primary author
Manuel Rainer
(uni_innsbruck)