SGER: Nano-Mechanics of Biological Adhesion and Friction

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SGER: Nano-Mechanics of Biological Adhesion and FrictionAbstractThe objectives of this proposal are to explore the fundamental mechanical principles of hairy and smooth attachment pads found in biological organisms such as geckos and crickets. In order to accomplish this goal, the proposal presents a set of well-defined experimental projects: quantify the adhesion behavior of a forest of nanoscale slated hair samples as a function of the mating surface roughness; investigate the length scale effects in discrete contact at nanoscale in order to understand the relevance of nanoscale in biological adhesion; quantify the effect of hairy geometry and material properties on macroscopic friction; and investigate the role of roughness induced mechanical instabilities at nanoscale on the macroscopic work of separation in soft materials. The samples will be prepared through micro and nanofabrication techniques and adhesion and friction experiments will be carried out using atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation with specially designed tips. The hair diameter will be varied between 500 nm and 50 nm. The outreach program will involve supporting a woman graduate student and inviting a minority undergraduate student from a Historically Black College or University to participate in the proposed research.