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Comparative Study
. 2008 Mar 6;5(20):383-5.
doi: 10.1098/rsif.2007.1171.

A beetle-inspired solution for underwater adhesion

M Varenberg  1 , S Gorb
Affiliations
Comparative Study

A beetle-inspired solution for underwater adhesion

M Varenberg et al. J R Soc Interface. .

Abstract

Glue-free reversible adhesion was achieved underwater using a beetle-inspired mushroom-shaped fibrillar microstructure. Structured surfaces reveal a 25% increase in pull-off force when immersed in water and their underwater attachment is 20 times more effective than that of flat surfaces. The van der Waals interaction that underlies the adhesion of the mushroom-shaped fibrillar microstructure is significantly enhanced by a suction effect when underwater. This results in a higher adhesive capability of the material, with potential in medicine, bio- and marine technologies and a range of applications in liquid-dominated environments.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Beetle-inspired adhesive microstructure. Scanning electron micrograph presents mushroom-shaped microfibres near the edge of a structured sample, illustrating the two-level hierarchy of terminal contact plates and stalks of the microfibres. Inset displays the height image of a single terminal contact plate.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adhesive performance of mushroom-shaped fibrillar microstructure. (a) Mean pull-off force of flat and structured samples measured on hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates in air and de-ionized water. The error scales represent a standard deviation from mean values. Statistical significance of difference between the forces measured is summarized in table 1. (b) Behaviour of a single terminal contact plate detaching from substrate in air. Dark areas resulted from destructive interference of reflected white light in the glass–PVS interface visualize the real contact zones.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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