Single Molecular Force Spectroscopy Laboratory

Dr. Piotr E. Marszalek

Mechanical properties of single molecules and clusters of atoms are of utmost importance in biology and nanotechnology. We are interested in plastic and elastic deformations in inorganic atomic clusters, which form nanowires, and organic clusters, which form flexible, ring-like molecules (e.g. glucose). Of particular interest to us are the elastic properties of single biopolymers such as polysaccharides, DNA, or proteins and their force-induced conformational transitions (e.g. chair to boat transitions in sugar rings). Our main experimental methodology is atomic force microscopy (AFM), which allows us to manipulate scale systems and even single molecules. We model mechanical properties of atomic clusters using quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics methodologies.