New tools for force spectroscopy

Force curves using atomic force microscopy have been proposed as a new tool to probe the conformation of adsorbed polymers and interactions between molecules through the analysis of the rupture distributions. We describe an algorithm for the computer–assisted detection of ruptures in force curves. This program allows us to automatically detect the ruptures. The algorithm is based on an analysis of the standard deviation in a sliding window along the length of the force. Automatic detection of ruptures constitutes an important step forward because the time required to analyse the curves is significantly reduced, thus allowing the user to perform multiple experiments. In addition, using these tools we can address the problem of the interpretation of rupture distributions.