Shear force mapping on thiolipid Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers probed with A
l-coated tips leads to a contrast highly dependent on the monolayer molecul
ar organization, which does not correspond to the topographical relief of t
he sample. The use of functionalized surface probes offers the possibility
to better control the probe-to-sample interaction. In addition, hydrophilic
surface probes are totally insensitive to alkyl chain arrangements in the
monolayer. Hydrophobic probes, instead, can be chosen to map shear force on
soft samples in liquid environment, since their mechanical properties are
not influenced by the surrounding liquid.