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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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Elastocapillary adhesion of soft gel microspheres.

Joseph N Headley¹, Edgar W Lyons¹, Mathew Q Giso²

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|June 30, 2026

Summary

Softer solid adhesives are stickier due to material compliance enhancing surface contact. This study reveals a continuous elastocapillary transition in adhesion mechanics for soft gels, explaining their robust performance.

Keywords:

adhesion contact mechanics elastocapillary gel morpho

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Soft Matter Physics
Adhesion Science

Background:

Material compliance in soft adhesives enhances contact between nonconformal surfaces, increasing stickiness.
Soft materials display complex physics from elasticity, surface mechanics, and poroelastic flows impacting interfacial interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the interplay of elasticity, surface mechanics, and poroelasticity in adhesive contact.
Measure adhesive contact geometry across various elastic stiffnesses for silicone gel microspheres.

Main Methods:

Experimental measurement of adhesive contact geometry between silicone gel microspheres and flat substrates.
Development of a model incorporating elastocapillary and poroelastic mechanics.

Main Results:

Observed a continuous elastocapillary transition in adhesion mechanics.
Identified a fluid contact zone mediating contact line deformation in soft gel spheres.
Demonstrated a broad range of near-equilibrium contact morphologies.

Conclusions:

The developed model predicts the full range of adhesive behavior and energetic tradeoffs.
A shallow energy landscape contributes to the robustness of everyday adhesives.
Soft gel adhesion is governed by a complex interplay of continuum elasticity, surface mechanics, and poroelasticity.