Advanced Adhesion from Origami Inspired Thin-Film Structures

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This grant will create new understanding of versatile adhesive systems that have the potential to create strong bonds on rough surfaces, to be used as new measurement techniques, and to be used to create responsive adhesive structures. Origami is the ancient art of paper folding which involves folding a thin sheet into an intimate, complex, and beautiful shape. The strategy is not limited to artistic work – sheets can be folded into shapes that can solve many modern engineering problems. When applied to adhesive technologies, Origami design can help overcome challenges by using the easy bending of a thin film to deform around roughness, while exploiting the stiffness of a film to create a strong structure. Origami structures can also be designed to be stable in two states, for example, one that sticks to an object well and one that does not stick well. In this way, dynamic systems can be developed to switch from a low adhesion to a high adhesion state upon request. In addition to these practical outcomes, this research will build a deep fundamental understanding of different basic features of origami structures, such as folds, ridges and d-cones. In concert, the grant will create educational and outreach opportunities for k-5 students, underrepresented minorities and the local public through interactive demonstrations, summer schools, and public speaking events. The specific goal of the research is to discover relations between material type (elastic, plastic, brittle) and adhesive performance of thin polymer films in several origami inspired architectures. Polydimethylsiloxane elastomers, polycarbonate and polystyrene will be used as model materials. Experiments will be performed under a confocal microscope, such that full 3D structural information is obtained at the same time as traditional force-displacement data is collected. Thin film loops, crumples and Reich origami patterns will be tested in compression and tension, quantifying useful mechanical and adhesion related metrics such as compliance and peak adhesive force. Specific focus will be given to understanding how material properties interplay with structural design units in thin film adhesives. The work will advance the fundamental understanding of how basic thin-film building block structures (bends, folds, d-cones, and ridges) work in concert to deliver macroscopic performance in Origami based designs. This research will allow the PI to advance structure-property understanding in thin film mechanics and advance the ability of engineers to design and predict behavior of origami inspired structure.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.