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Adhesion

Adhesion

Adhesion occurs when one type of molecule is attracted to a different molecule. Water exhibits adhesive properties in the presence of polar surfaces, such as glass or cellulose in plants. For instance, when water is poured into a glass, the positively charged hydrogen molecules of water are more attracted to the negatively charged oxygen molecules in the silica than to the oxygen in neighboring water molecules.
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow glass...

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Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy

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Vertical anisotropic microfibers for a gecko-inspired adhesive.

John Tamelier¹, Sathya Chary, Kimberly L Turner

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA. john_t@engineering.ucsb.edu

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|May 10, 2012

Summary

Gecko-inspired synthetic adhesives use fiber shape to control adhesion. Semicircular fiber designs show significantly higher shear forces when the flat face contacts surfaces, mimicking natural gecko adhesion.

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Area of Science:

Biomimetics
Materials Science
Adhesion Science

Background:

Geckos exhibit remarkable adhesion due to anisotropic fibers on their toes.
Natural gecko adhesion relies on force anisotropy from fiber articulation direction.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if semicircular fiber shape can induce anisotropy in shear and shear adhesion forces.
To explore the influence of fiber geometry on adhesive properties.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of 10-μm-diameter polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) semicircular fibers.
Testing fiber adhesion and shear forces against a flat glass surface.
Analyzing force differences based on flat face versus curved face contact.

Main Results:

Shear and shear adhesion forces were 2-5 times greater when the flat face of the fiber contacted the glass.
Directional adhesion and force anisotropy results align with theoretical models (Kendall peel).
Fiber shape significantly influences adhesive properties.

Conclusions:

Semicircular fiber shape can be engineered to create directional adhesion and force anisotropy.
This finding advances the design of synthetic adhesives mimicking natural gecko capabilities.
Results have broad applicability for improving synthetic adhesive performance.