Measuring the Adhesion Forces between Alkanethiol-Modified AFM Cantilevers and Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Nanotube/polymer composite interfaces are of interest for next generation composites. We have examined the adhesion between thiolated AFM cantilever tips and single walled carbon nanotube paper using chemical force microscopy. We have observed a direct correlation of adhesion force with respect to the thiol terminal group (NH 2 > CH 3 > OH). Our findings demonstrate that the interfacial interactions between single walled carbon nanotubes and terminally functionalized hydrocarbons can be evaluated with an atomic force microscope, provided that one accounts for variations in contact area caused by tip shape and sample topology.