Electromechanical imaging of biological systems with sub-10 nm resolution

Authors

Sergei V. Kalinin, Condensed Matter Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TennesseeFollow
B. J. Rodriguez, North Carolina State University, RaleighFollow
Stephen Jesse, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryFollow
T. Thundat, Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Alexei Gruverman, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

7-28-2005

Comments

Published in Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 053901 2005. Copyright © 2005 American Institute of Physics. Used by permission.

Abstract

Electromechanical imaging of tooth dentin and enamel has been performed with sub-10 nm resolution using piezoresponse force microscopy. Characteristic piezoelectric domain size and local protein fiber ordering in dentin have been determined. The shape of a single protein fibril in enamel is visualized in real space and local hysteresis loops are measured. Because of the ubiquitous presence of piezoelectricity in biological systems, this approach is expected to find broad application in high-resolution studies of a wide range of biomaterials.