Y. Xu: Efficient Polymer and Polymer Composites Discovery Using Atomic Force Microscopy

Polymer and polymer-based composites span enormous design spaces. Exploring these spaces with conventional bulk samples is often slow and material intensive, since each new formulation or interface typically requires a full cycle of synthesis, processing, and screening. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) offers a natural platform for sample-efficient and high-throughput strategies: it enables controlled nano-indentation and the measurement of local force response with nano-scale sensitivity, addressing micron and sub-micron length scale. In addition, techniques such as AFM based dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) not only allow tip to serve as a probe, but also a means to precisely position, deposit, and pattern minute fluid quantities of material directly on the substrate.