Structure and dynamics of polymeric materials in nano-scale

 The nano-palpation technique, i.e., nanometer-scale elastic and viscoelastic measurements based on atomic force microscope, is introduced. It is demonstrated to be very useful in analyzing nanometer-scale materials properties for the surfaces and interfaces of various types of soft materials. It enables us to obtain not only structural information but also mechanical information about a material at the same place and at the same time.