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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...

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Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Synthesis of Strong Adhesive Hydrogel, Gelatin O-Nitrosobenzaldehyde

Synthesis of Strong Adhesive Hydrogel, Gelatin O-Nitrosobenzaldehyde

Published on: November 11, 2022

Barnacle inspired high-strength hydrogel for adhesive.

Dezhao Hao^1,2, Xingchao Li^1,2, Enfeng Yang^1,2

¹CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

|April 20, 2023

Summary

Inspired by barnacle glue, scientists developed a strong, bioinspired hydrogel. This new material uses coupled adhesion mechanisms for ultrahigh mechanical strength and adhesion, even underwater.

Keywords:

barnacle bio-inspired hydrogel phase separation under water and oil adhesive

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Published on: October 26, 2016

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Biomimetics
Polymer Chemistry

Background:

Barnacle glue demonstrates remarkable underwater adhesion through combined mechanisms like hydrogen bonding, electrostatic forces, and hydrophobic interactions.
Understanding these natural adhesion strategies is key to developing advanced synthetic adhesives.

Purpose of the Study:

To design and fabricate a novel hydrogel inspired by barnacle adhesion mechanisms.
To investigate the coupled effects of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic forces, and hydrophobic interactions on hydrogel properties.
To evaluate the mechanical and adhesive performance of the developed hydrogel in various environments.

Main Methods:

Hydrophobic phase separation hydrogel synthesis via electrostatic and hydrogen bond assembly of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA).
Characterization of hydrogel mechanical strength using compression tests.
Measurement of underwater adhesion strength on polar materials and adhesion strength in silicon oil.

Main Results:

The synthesized hydrogel exhibited ultrahigh mechanical strength of up to 2.66 ± 0.18 MPa.
Coupled adhesion forces resulted in an underwater adhesion strength of 1.99 ± 0.11 MPa on polar materials.
Adhesion strength reached 2.70 ± 0.21 MPa in silicon oil, demonstrating effectiveness in organic solvents.

Conclusions:

The bioinspired hydrogel effectively mimics barnacle glue's multi-mechanism adhesion.
The material demonstrates superior mechanical and adhesive properties, suitable for demanding applications.
This strategy offers a pathway for creating robust gels and adhesives for both aqueous and non-aqueous environments.