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Mechanisms of detachment in fibrillar adhesive systems.
Sudersan, Pranav; Kappl, Michael.
Affiliation
  • Sudersan P; Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
  • Kappl M; Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany. Electronic address: kappl@mpip-mainz.mpg.de.
J Theor Biol ; 557: 111315, 2023 01 21.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36332666
ABSTRACT
Several creatures can climb on smooth surfaces with the help of hairy adhesive pads on their legs. A rapid change from strong attachment to effortless detachment of the leg is enabled by the asymmetric geometry of the tarsal hairs. In this study, we propose mechanisms by which the hairy pad can be easily detached, even when the hairs possess no asymmetry. Here, we examine the possible function of the tibia-tarsus leg joint and the claws. Based on a spring-based model, we consider three modes of detachment vertically pulling the pad while maintaining either a (1) fixed or a (2) free joint, or by (3) flexing the pad about the claw. We show that in all cases, the adhesion force can be significantly reduced due to elastic forces when the hairs deform non-uniformly across the array. Our proposed model illustrates the design advantage of such fibrillar adhesive systems, that not only provide strong adhesion, but also allow easy detachment, making them suitable as organs for fast locomotion and reliable hold. The presented approaches can be potentially used to switch the adhesion state in bio-inspired fibrillar adhesives, by incorporating artificial joints and claws into their design, without the need of asymmetric or stimuli-responsive fibrillar structures.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Cytoskeleton / Adhesives Language: En Journal: J Theor Biol Year: 2023 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Germany Publication country: ENGLAND / ESCOCIA / GB / GREAT BRITAIN / INGLATERRA / REINO UNIDO / SCOTLAND / UK / UNITED KINGDOM

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Cytoskeleton / Adhesives Language: En Journal: J Theor Biol Year: 2023 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Germany Publication country: ENGLAND / ESCOCIA / GB / GREAT BRITAIN / INGLATERRA / REINO UNIDO / SCOTLAND / UK / UNITED KINGDOM