Adhesion fibrillar

Kuehn, M. J., Heuser, J., Normark, S., and Hultgren, S. J. (1992). P pili in uropathogenic E. coli are composite fibres with distinct fibrillar adhesive tips. Nature 356, 252-255. 

Our studies suggest that P pili are highly ordered structures that may have evolved from two genetic sources, one encoding long, right-handed helical rods and another encoding open helical fibrillar adhesive poly-... 

Figure 1 Structu ral hierarchy of the hierarchical gecko fibrillar adhesive. From Hansen, W. R. Autumn, K. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2005,102,385. Copyright 2005 National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A.

The vast majority of fibrillar adhesive materials have been prepared to (1) test adhesion model prediaions or (2) explore and optimize attachment to dry surfaces. Nevertheless, in order to expand the range of applications for synthetic fibrillar adhesives, it is desirable to improve performance under humid and wet conditions. For example, compared to flat and unstmc-tured polyvinylsiloxane, generating microscale mushroom fibrillar architectures with this material improved adhesion to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces under water. ... 

Biomimetic fibrillar adhesives with increasing complexity have been generated by different micro- and nanofabrication methods. The achieved geometries still repre-... 

Finer contact elements will result in stronger adhesion and will also enhance the adaptability to rough surfaces. Reduction of structural features of the fibrillar adhesives, however, requires materials systems that are strong, tough and durable, since small structures are prone to lateral collapse and break easily. Therefore, more efforts are required to develop materials systems that accommodate these requirements. 

Biological Fibrillar Adhesives Functional Principles and Biomimetic Applications... 

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