Extracting a single polyethylene oxide chain from a single crystal by a combination of atomic force microscopy imaging and single-molecule force spectroscopy: toward the investigation of molecular interactions in their condensed states.

A thiol-labeled single polyethylene oxide chain has been pulled out of its single crystal and the corresponding extraction force obtained quantitatively by a good combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and AFM-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS). Our study extends the AFM-based SMFS to the investigation of polymer interactions in their condensed states (e.g., in polymer single crystals).