Nanomechanics of Hemichannel Conformations

Nanomechanics of carbon nanotubes.

Some of the most important potential applications of carbon nanotubes are related to their mechanical properties. Stiff sp2 bonds result in a Young's modulus close to that of diamond, while the relatively weak van der Waals interaction between the graphitic shells acts as a form of lubrication. Previous characterization of the mechanical properties of nanotubes includes a rich variety of experi...

Nanomechanics of HaloTag tethers.

The active site of the Haloalkane Dehydrogenase (HaloTag) enzyme can be covalently attached to a chloroalkane ligand providing a mechanically strong tether, resistant to large pulling forces. Here we demonstrate the covalent tethering of protein L and I27 polyproteins between an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever and a glass surface using HaloTag anchoring at one end and thiol chemistry a...

Quantum Nanomechanics

Quantum Nanomechanics is the emerging field which pertains to the mechanical behavior of nanoscale systems in the quantum domain. Unlike the conventional studies of vibration of molecules and phonons in solids, quantum nanomechanics is defined as the quantum behavior of the entire mechanical structure, including all of its constituents—the atoms, the molecules, the ions, the electrons as well a...

Nanomechanics of adhesion proteins.

Recent advances in molecular force measurements have resulted in the quantification of the nanomechanical properties of single molecular bonds, and elucidated novel relationships between molecular architecture and biomolecular adhesion. The measured forces to rupture single intermolecular bonds revealed novel and unexpected ways that proteins respond to mechanical force. Measurement of the magn...

Computational Nanomechanics of Materials