Bio-inspired adhesion control with liquids

Yupeng Chen; Zhongpeng Zhu; Martin Steinhart; Stanislav N Gorb

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.103864

Bio-inspired adhesion control with liquids

iScience. 2022 Feb 4;25(3):103864. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103864. eCollection 2022 Mar 18.

Authors

Yupeng Chen¹, Zhongpeng Zhu¹, Martin Steinhart², Stanislav N Gorb³

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China.
² Institut für Chemie neuer Materialien and CellNanOs, Universität Osnabrück, Barbarastr. 7, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany.
³ Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany.

Abstract

Bio-inspired surfaces enabling wet adhesion management are of significant interest for applications in the field of biomedicine, as components of bionic robots and as wearable devices. In the course of biological evolution, many organisms have evolved wet adhesive surfaces with strong attachment ability. Insects enhance their adhesion on contact substrates using secreted adhesive liquids. Here we discuss concepts of bio-inspired wet adhesion. First, remaining challenges associated with the understanding and the design of biological and artificial wet adhesive systems as well as strategies to supply adhesive liquids to their contact surfaces are reviewed. Then, future directions to construct wet adhesive surfaces with liquids are discussed in detail. Finally, a model of wet adhesion management with liquids is suggested, which might help the design of next-generation bio-inspired wet adhesive surfaces.

Keywords: Biophysics; Environmental science.

Publication types

Review