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Publications in Scientific Journals:

G. Fantner, E. Oroudjev, G. Schitter, L. Golde, P. J. Thurner, M. Finch, P. Turner, D. Morse, H. Hansma, P.K. Hansma:
"Sacrificial Bonds and Hidden Length: Unraveling Molecular Mesostructures in Tough Materials";
Biophysical Journal, 90 (2006), 1411 - 1418.



English abstract:
Sacrificial bonds and hidden length in structural molecules and composites have been found to greatly increase
the fracture toughness of biomaterials by providing a reversible, molecular-scale energy-dissipation mechanism. This
mechanism relies on the energy, of order 100 eV, needed to reduce entropy and increase enthalpy as molecular segments are
stretched after being released by the breaking of weak bonds, called sacrificial bonds. This energy is relatively large compared
to the energy needed to break the polymer backbone, of order a few eV. In many biological cases, the breaking of sacrificial
bonds has been found to be reversible, thereby additionally providing a ``self-healing´´ property to the material. Due to the
nanoscopic nature of this mechanism, single molecule force spectroscopy using an atomic force microscope has been a useful
tool to investigate this mechanism. Especially when investigating natural molecular constructs, force versus distance curves
quickly become very complicated. In this work we propose various types of sacrificial bonds, their combination, and how they
appear in single molecule force spectroscopy measurements. We find that by close analysis of the force spectroscopy curves,
additional information can be obtained about the molecules and their bonds to the native constructs.

Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.