Engineers zap and unstick underwater smart glue
Monday, March 2, 2020 - 21:11
in Physics & Chemistry
Turning adhesion on and off is what makes a glue smart. Inspired by nature, catechols are synthetic compounds that mimic the wet-but-still-sticky proteins found in mussel feet and offer promise for underwater glue, wound dressings, prosthetic attachments or even making car parts and in other manufacturing. A team has used electricity for the first time to deactivate a catechol-containing adhesive in salt water.