Nanoscale Deformation and Nanomechanical Properties of Soft Matter Study Cases: Polydimethylsiloxane, Cells and Tissues

Abstract

Nanoindentation technique was used to investigate the nanomechanical behaviour of different soft materials. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), cells and tissues were examined. The nanomechanical properties (with loading rate and creep study), namely, the hardness () and the elastic modulus () of PDMS, were determined. A classical Hertzian contact analysis was also performed in order to obtain values of . Moreover, the plastic deformation where no load had yet been applied to PDMS was investigated (zero load plastic deformation). Finally, the difficulties of measuring the nanomechanical properties (&) of cells and tissues were evaluated, showing the need for a modification of the current experimental protocols for preparing and mechanically testing in a mode that maintains their structure and their biological functioning in order to make indentation results more reproducible. Additionally, finite element method is used in order to simulate the nanoindentation of PDMS in correlation with experimental data.