Search Results
Composite pillars with a tunable interface for adhesion to rough substrates
2017, Fischer, Sarah C.L., Arzt, Eduard, Hensel, René
The benefits of synthetic fibrillar dry adhesives for temporary and reversible attachment to hard objects with smooth surfaces have been successfully demonstrated in previous studies. However, surface roughness induces a dramatic reduction in pull-off stresses and necessarily requires revised design concepts. Toward this aim, we introduce cylindrical two-phase single pillars, which are composed of a mechanically stiff stalk and a soft tip layer. Adhesion to smooth and rough substrates is shown to exceed that of conventional pillar structures. The adhesion characteristics can be tuned by varying the thickness of the soft tip layer, the ratio of the Young’s moduli and the curvature of the interface between the two phases. For rough substrates, adhesion values similar to those obtained on smooth substrates were achieved. Our concept of composite pillars overcomes current practical limitations caused by surface roughness and opens up fields of application where roughness is omnipresent.
Critical aspects of substrate nanopatterning for the ordered growth of GaN nanocolumns
2011, Barbagini, Francesca, Bengoechea-Encabo, Ana, Albert, Steven, Martinez, Javier, Sanchez García, Miguel Angel, Trampert, Achim, Calleja, Enrique
Precise and reproducible surface nanopatterning is the key for a successful ordered growth of GaN nanocolumns. In this work, we point out the main technological issues related to the patterning process, mainly surface roughness and cleaning, and mask adhesion to the substrate. We found that each of these factors, process-related, has a dramatic impact on the subsequent selective growth of the columns inside the patterned holes. We compare the performance of e-beam lithography, colloidal lithography, and focused ion beam in the fabrication of hole-patterned masks for ordered columnar growth. These results are applicable to the ordered growth of nanocolumns of different materials.
Adhesion and Cellular Compatibility of Silicone-Based Skin Adhesives
2017, Fischer, Sarah C. L., Kruttwig, Klaus, Bandmann, Vera, Hensel, René, Arzt, Eduard
Pressure-sensitive adhesives based on silicone materials have emerging potential as adhesives in healthcare products, in particular for gentle skin adhesives. To this end, adhesion to rough skin and biocompatibility are crucial factors for a successful implementation. In this study, the mechanical, adhesive, and biological properties of the two-component poly(dimethylsiloxane) Soft Skin Adhesive MG 7-9800 (SSA, Dow Corning) have been investigated and compared to Sylgard 184. Different mixing ratios of SSA's components allow for tuning of the shear modulus, thereby modifying the adhesive properties of the polymer. To give a comprehensive insight, the authors have analyzed the interplay between pull-off stress, adhesion energy, and stretch of the adhesive films on smooth and rough surfaces. The focus is placed on the effects of substrate roughness and on low pressure oxygen plasma treatment of the adhesive films. SSA shows superior biocompatibility in in vitro cell culture experiments. High pull-off stresses in the range of 3 N cm−2 on a rough surface are achieved, promising broad application spectra for SSA-based healthcare products.
Perspective on statistical effects in the adhesion of micropatterned surfaces
2021, Booth, Jamie A., Hensel, René
Bioinspired micropatterned adhesives have attracted extensive research interest in the past two decades. In modeling the performance of these adhesives, the common assumption has been that the adhesive strength of each sub-contact is identical. Recent experiments, however, have shown that interfacial defects of different characters lead to a distribution of the adhesive strength within a fibrillar array. Based on experimental observations of detachment events, a statistical model for the distribution of the local adhesive strength and the resulting performance of a micropatterned adhesive are presented. This approach constitutes a paradigm shift, providing better understanding of micropatterned adhesives under real conditions. Examples presented include the prediction of unstable detachments in compliant systems. Future directions are discussed, including the extension of the statistical approach to non-uniform loading and rate-dependent effects, the contribution of suction to adhesion and aging of contacts over specific time periods, as well as the necessity for a more in-depth understanding of defect formation considering surface roughness and other imperfections in the system.
Universal emulsion stabilization from the arrested adsorption of rough particles at liquid-liquid interfaces
2017, Zanini, Michele, Marschelke, Claudia, Anachkov, Svetoslav E., Marini, Emanuele, Synytska, Alla, Isa, Lucio
Surface heterogeneities, including roughness, significantly affect the adsorption, motion and interactions of particles at fluid interfaces. However, a systematic experimental study, linking surface roughness to particle wettability at a microscopic level, is currently missing. Here we synthesize a library of all-silica microparticles with uniform surface chemistry, but tuneable surface roughness and study their spontaneous adsorption at oil-water interfaces. We demonstrate that surface roughness strongly pins the particles' contact lines and arrests their adsorption in long-lived metastable positions, and we directly measure the roughness-induced interface deformations around isolated particles. Pinning imparts tremendous contact angle hysteresis, which can practically invert the particle wettability for sufficient roughness, irrespective of their chemical nature. As a unique consequence, the same rough particles stabilize both water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions depending on the phase they are initially dispersed in. These results both shed light on fundamental phenomena concerning particle adsorption at fluid interfaces and indicate future design rules for particle-based emulsifiers.
Fabrication of multifunctional titanium surfaces by producing hierarchical surface patterns using laser based ablation methods
2019, Zwahr, Christoph, Helbig, Ralf, Werner, Carsten, Lasagni, Andrés Fabián
Textured implant surfaces with micrometer and sub-micrometer features can improve contact properties like cell adhesion and bacteria repellency. A critical point of these surfaces is their mechanical stability during implantation. Therefore, strategies capable to provide both biocompatibility for an improved implant healing and resistance to wear for protecting the functional surface are required. In this work, laser-based fabrication methods have been used to produce hierarchical patterns on titanium surfaces. Using Direct Laser Writing with a nanosecond pulsed laser, crater-like structures with a separation distance of 50 µm are produced on unpolished titanium surfaces. Directly on this texture, a hole-like pattern with 5 µm spatial period is generated using Direct Laser Interference Patterning with picosecond pulses. While the smaller features should reduce the bacterial adhesion, the larger geometry was designed to protect the smaller features from wear. On the multifunctional surface, the adherence of E. Coli bacteria is reduced by 30% compared to the untreated reference. In addition, wear test performed on the multiple-scale patterns demonstrated the possibility to protect the smaller features by the larger craters. Also, the influence of the laser treatment on the growth of a titanium oxide layer was evaluated using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy analysis. © 2019, The Author(s).