2. Home
  3. Application
  4. Lateral force microscopy on polystyrene-polybutadiene blend

Lateral force microscopy on polystyrene-polybutadiene blend

Lateral force imaging mode was used to image local friction differences between the two polymers. Polystyrene and polybutadiene are shown to have quite different surface properties.


Overlay of friction on topograph

Overlay of difference between lateral deflection in forward and backward directions on top of topography. The difference is dominated by friction forces. Polystyrene (green areas) shows a higher friction than polybutadiene.

System: FlexAFM with ES2 controller
Scan size: 9 µm
Cantilever: PPP-CONTSCR

Overlay of slope on topography

Overlay of average of lateral deflection in forward and backward directions on top of topography. The average is dominated by slope variations in the sample. The steepest slope (in red) is observed close to a large inset of polystyrene. The average shows no large color difference between the polymers in flatter areas.

Line section of friction and slope signals

Line section of lateral deflection difference and average of forward and backward scan directions.

Related content

View application note (PDF)

Possible with

title strip=

Industrial solutions

In addition to our standard products we can design and develop custom-built atomic force microscope systems, stages, and parts. A dedicated team of highly qualified engineers is ready to create the optimal solution for your industrial application. For a first impression of what we can do, have a look at these examples.

title strip=

Flex-Axiom — AFM for materials research

By advancing key technologies and designs, Nanosurf has made the Flex-Axiom one of the most versatile and flexible atomic force microscopes ever, allowing a large variety of materials research applications to be handled with ease. Together with the powerful C3000 controller, complex material characterizations are possible.

title strip=

Flex-Bio — AFM for biology and life science

A key success factor in life science research is the combination of multiple techniques. With the Flex-Bio, Nanosurf's Bio AFM, you can combine the AFM imaging, spectroscopy and nanomanipulation capabilities of this system with the high-end optical imaging techniques available for inverted microscopes.