High-Throughput Screening Test for Adhesion in Soft Materials Using Centrifugation

High-throughput screening of mechanical properties can transform materials science research by both aiding in materials discovery and developing predictive models. However, only a few such assays have been reported, requiring custom or expensive equipment, while the mounting demand for enormous data sets of materials properties for predictive models is unfulfilled by the current characterization throughput. We address this problem by developing a high-throughput colorimetric adhesion screening method using a common laboratory centrifuge, multiwell plates, and microparticles. The technique uses centrifugation to apply a homogeneous mechanical detachment force across individual formulations in a multiwell plate. We also develop a high-throughput sample deposition method to prepare films with uniform thickness in each well, minimizing well-to-well variability. After establishing excellent agreement with the well-known probe tack adhesion test, we demonstrate the consistency of our method by performing the test on a multiwell plate with two different formulations in an easily discernible pattern. The throughput is limited only by the number of wells in the plates, easily reaching 10³ samples/run. With its simplicity, low cost, and large dynamic range, this high-throughput method has the potential to change the landscape of adhesive material characterization.