SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY AND GEOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF 2-DIMENSIONAL COLLAGEN NETWORK FORMATION

Monomeric collagen films were prepared by spin-coating of acidic colla gen solutions on different atomically flat surfaces. The thin biomolec ular coatings have been investigated by scanning force microscopy. Dep ending on both the wetting behaviour and the microtopology of the subs trates used, different film morphologies have been observed. Collagen monomers cover the surface of hydrophilic substrates homogeneously, wh ereas pore formation due to dewetting processes takes place at non-str uctured hydrophobic surfaces. The size of pores depends on the evapora tion velocity of the solvent during spin-coating. Topological and metr ic properties of the resulting networks have been analysed and compare d to soap foam network structures. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.