CAREER: Durable Biomimetic Adhesives for Structural Engineering Applications

该学院早期职业发展(Career)计划将通过模仿贻贝粘合提供一种新的、受自然启发的耐用混凝土结构粘接接头。胶接接头广泛应用于多个工程领域，用于加速生产、延长产品寿命、降低应力集中和控制维护成本。然而，结构工程依赖于体积较大且不太经济的机械连接方法，因为现有的粘合剂在潮湿环境中不耐用。受贻贝在水下建立和保持与矿物基材的粘附性的能力的启发，该项目将为结构混凝土创造一种防潮粘合剂连接方法。粘合剂技术的这一进步将(1)通过实现创新、耐用的维修和翻新方法来提高现有基础设施的弹性，以及(2)刺激针对经济适用房和下一代民用基础设施的颠覆性建筑技术(例如，添加剂制造和预制建筑)的进步。该项目将仿生粘合研究与教育计划相结合，以吸引和留住具有高度创造力的STEM人才，为解决未来的工程挑战做出贡献。该项目的目标是：(1)阐明贻贝与混凝土之间的化学相互作用；(2)通过建立贻贝基材选择、贻贝粘合垫结构和模型基材上的粘合能之间的函数关系，研究贻贝粘合垫在混凝土上的能量耗散机理；(3)设计一种新的仿生粘接接头设计方法。新的基础知识将被用来创造一个粘性混凝土接头原型，它将推进两个新的制造程序--防潮底漆的合成路线，以及生产具有梯度刚性的粘合剂的方法。这个项目的教育目标是通过扩大不同神经类型的学生的参与，培养一支极具创造力的工程师和材料科学家队伍，这些学生天生就比典型的神经人群表现出更大的创造力。相应地，该项目实施：(1)为大学预科学生开展体现通用学习设计(UDL)原则的实践推广活动；(2)为患有注意力缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)的高中生和工科一年级学生进行暑期研究实习和个性化指导。该项目为PI实现他的长期职业目标奠定了基础，即在结构工程中扩大粘合剂连接的使用，同时培养一支多元化的工程队伍。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program will provide a new, nature-inspired and durable adhesive joints in concrete structures by mimicking mussel adhesion. Adhesive joints are used in multiple engineering fields to accelerate production, prolong product life, reduce stress concentrations, and control maintenance costs. Structural engineering, however, relies on bulkier and less economical mechanical joining methods as the existing adhesives are not durable in wet environments. Inspired by mussels’ ability to establish and maintain adhesion to mineral substrates underwater, this project will create a moisture-resistant adhesive joining method for structural concrete. This progress in adhesives technology will (1) improve resilience of existing infrastructure by enabling innovative, durable repair and retrofitting methods and (2) stimulate the advancement of disruptive construction techniques (e.g., additive manufacturing and prefabricated construction) for affordable housing and next-generation civil infrastructure. The project integrates research in biomimetic adhesion with an educational program to attract and retain highly creative STEM talent, contributing to a workforce that can solve engineering challenges of the future.The project objectives are to: (1) elucidate chemical interactions responsible for mussels’ adhesion to concrete; (2) investigate energy dissipation mechanisms of mussel adhesive pad on concrete by establishing the functional relationships between mussel substrate selection, structure of the mussel adhesive pad, and the adhesive bond energy on model substrates; and, accordingly, (3) devise a novel biomimetic approach of adhesive joint design. The new fundamental knowledge will be used to create a prototype adhesive concrete joint that advances two new fabrication procedures—a synthesis route for a moisture-resistant primer, and a method of producing an adhesive with gradient stiffness. The education goal of this project is to nurture a cadre of highly creative engineers and materials scientists by broadening participation of neurodiverse students who innately exhibit greater creativity than the neurotypical population. Correspondingly, the project implements: (1) hands-on outreach activities that embody Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles for pre-college students; and (2) summer research internships and personalized mentoring for high-school students and first-year engineering students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The project lays the basis for the PI to achieve his long-term career goal of expanding the use of adhesive connections in structural engineering while cultivating a neurodiverse engineering workforce.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.