Mapping nanomechanical properties of freshly grown, native, interlamellar organic sheets on flat pearl nacre

We imaged surfaces of freshly grown flat pearl nacre (Haliotis tuberculata) in different stages of growth in seawater using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Characteristic mineral phases of nacre, such as aragonitic stacks of coins, as well as the associated organic sheets, could be detected. Apart from imaging, the acquisition of force volumes on freshly grown organic surface areas on flat pearl nacre was conducted with the AFM. The evaluation of the force volumes with the Hertz–Sneddon model resulted in Young’s moduli in the MPa range. The presented values are considerably smaller than values previously determined from macroscopic tensile tests. This might reflect the anisotropy of the organic nacre layers.