Nanomechanical characterization of polyaniline coated tobacco mosaic virus nanotubes

✍ Scribed by Xinnan Wang; Zhongwei Niu; Siqi Li; Qian Wang; Xiaodong Li

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 306 KB
• Volume: 87A
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1549-3296
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.31617

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Mechanical properties of polyaniline (PANI) coated self‐assembled tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanotubes were measured by nanoindentation with an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe. The elastic modulus of PANI/TMV core–shell biocomposite tubes (outer diameter: 19 nm, inner diameter: 4 nm, PANI coating thickness: 0.5 nm) was measured from the AFM force‐displacement curves. Structural characteristics of the PANI coating, TMV tube, and their interface were studied by comparing the mechanical properties of individual constituent materials. Results showed that coating with a thin layer of PANI can change the physical and chemical properties of TMV nanotubes. The deformation behavior of such core–shell biocomposite tubes is discussed in conjunction with the obtained AFM force‐displacement curves, van der Waals interaction between PANI and TMV, and mechanical properties of individual constituent materials. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 87A: 8–14, 2008