Atomic force microscopy (AFM): Basics and its important applications for polymer characterization: An overview

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a relatively new technique used for the surface characterization of polymers. It is capable of producing images of a non-conducting polymer surface without any, chemical etching or staining. The unique feature of this technique as compared to other microscopy techniques is that we can study the mechanical properties of the polymer surface and it also does not involve the use of electron beam radiation that damages the polymer surface. This paper describes the various applications of atomic force microscopy like evaluation of mechanical properties, determining the chemical composition, studying photo-oxidative degradation of polymers, measuring the surface adhesion forces, studying the thermal phase transitions in polymers and determining the molecular. weight and polydispersity index of polymer brushes. These applications have been elucidated with suitable examples.