Physical properties of a single polymeric nanofiber

The nanostructural and elastic properties of a single polymeric nanofiber extracted from a nanofibrous scaffold are investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM imaging of the nanofibers reveals a shish-kebab structure. A portion of the nanofiber is suspended over a microscale groove etched on a silicon wafer. A nanoscale three-point bend test is performed to obtain the elastic modulus. This elastic modulus is found to be 1.0+/-0.2 GPa for fibers less than 350 nm but decrease with increase in fiber diameter in excess of 350 nm. This is due to the significance of shear deformation as the length to diameter ratio decreases. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.