Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Selected Works

Gordon Wallace

2014

Atomic

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Tensile Testing Of Individual Glassy, Rubbery And Hydrogel Electrospun Polymer Nanofibres To High Strain Using The Atomic Force Microscope, Adrian Gestos, Philip G. Whitten, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace Mar 2014

Tensile Testing Of Individual Glassy, Rubbery And Hydrogel Electrospun Polymer Nanofibres To High Strain Using The Atomic Force Microscope, Adrian Gestos, Philip G. Whitten, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

The production and use of polymer nanofibre assemblies prepared by electrospinning is now widespread. It is known that the tensile properties of electrospun polymer fibres can be different to those of bulk polymers. Here, we report a general method for measuring the tensile properties of individual electrospun nanofibres that employs a commercial atomic force microscope. Methods for preparing samples, force calibration and calculation of tensile stress and strain are described along with error estimation. By appropriate choice of AFM cantilever, it is shown that the tensile stress-strain curves can be measured for glassy, rubbery and gel polymer nanofibres. Testing can …


Quantifying Fibronectin Adhesion With Nanoscale Spatial Resolution On Glycosaminoglycan Doped Polypyrrole Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Amy Gelmi, Michael J. Higgins, Gordon G. Wallace Mar 2014

Quantifying Fibronectin Adhesion With Nanoscale Spatial Resolution On Glycosaminoglycan Doped Polypyrrole Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Amy Gelmi, Michael J. Higgins, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

The interaction of ECM proteins is critical in determining the performance of materials used in biomedical applications such as tissue regeneration, implantable bionics and biosensing. Methods: To improve our understanding of ECM protein–conducting polymer interactions, we have used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to elucidate the interactions of fibronectin (FN) on polypyrrole (PPy) doped with different glycosaminoglycans. Results: We were able to classify four main types of FN interactions, including those related to 1) non-specific adhesion, 2) protein unfolding and subsequent unbinding from the surface, 3) desorption and 4) interactions with no adhesion. FN adhesion on PPy/hyaluronic acid showed a significantly …


Surface Properties And Interaction Forces Of Biopolymer-Doped Conductive Polypyrrole Surfaces By Atomic Force Microscopy, Jani M. Pelto, Suvi P. Haimi, Aliisa S. Siljander, Susanna S. Miettinen, Kirsi M. Tappura, Michael J. Higgins, Gordon G. Wallace Mar 2014

Surface Properties And Interaction Forces Of Biopolymer-Doped Conductive Polypyrrole Surfaces By Atomic Force Microscopy, Jani M. Pelto, Suvi P. Haimi, Aliisa S. Siljander, Susanna S. Miettinen, Kirsi M. Tappura, Michael J. Higgins, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

Surface properties and electrical charges are critical factors elucidating cell interactions on biomaterial surfaces. The surface potential distribution and the nanoscopic and microscopic surface elasticity of organic polypyrrole-hyaluronic acid (PPy-HA) were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in a fluid environment in order to explain the observed enhancement in the attachment of human adipose stem cells on positively charged PPy-HA films. The electrostatic force between the AFM tip and a charged PPy-HA surface, the tip-sample adhesion force, and elastic moduli were estimated from the AFM force curves, and the data were fitted to electrostatic double-layer and elastic contact models. The …


Optical Switching Of Protein Interactions On Photosensitive-Electroactive Polymers Measured By Atomic Force Microscopy, Amy Gelmi, Michele Zanoni, Michael J. Higgins, Sanjeev Gambhir, David L. Officer, Dermot Diamond, Gordon G. Wallace Mar 2014

Optical Switching Of Protein Interactions On Photosensitive-Electroactive Polymers Measured By Atomic Force Microscopy, Amy Gelmi, Michele Zanoni, Michael J. Higgins, Sanjeev Gambhir, David L. Officer, Dermot Diamond, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

The ability to switch the physico-chemical properties of conducting polymers opens up new possibilities for a range of applications. Appropriately functionalised materials can provide routes to multi-modal switching, for example, in response to light and/or electrochemical stimuli. This capability is important in the field of bionics wherein remote and temporal control of the properties of materials is becoming attractive. The ability to actuate a film via photonic stimuli is particularly interesting as it facilitates the modulation of interactions between host binding sites and potential guest molecules. In this work, we studied two different poly-terthiophenes: one was functionalised with a spiropyran …