Retains its qualities for thousands of reuses

Jul 19, 2007 06:46 GMT  ·  By
Image showing gecko clinging to mussel shell. Geckel adhesive combines the wet adhesive properties of mussel adhesive proteins with the dry adhesive strategy of the gecko.
   Image showing gecko clinging to mussel shell. Geckel adhesive combines the wet adhesive properties of mussel adhesive proteins with the dry adhesive strategy of the gecko.

What do you do when two substances just won't stick to each other, no matter how hard you try? You take a peak at Mother Nature and try to copy some of her surprising solutions. A new super glue does exactly that and learns from the masters in the field the gecko and the mussel.

The Gecko is a small lizard, one among the best climbers in the animal kingdom. Their ability to walk on walls and ceilings makes them look like they've got super glue coming out of their feet. Mussels produce a substance called byssus by which they attach themselves to the sea bed and thanks to which no storm can pull them off the surface they stuck to.

Just like a gecko that can peel his feet on and off any surface repeatedly so they don't get permanently stuck, this glue can be pulled on and off walls more than 1,000 times without losing its chemical composition and the ability to stick to that surface.

It's practically a reusable glue that can perform very well both on dry and wet surfaces, being around 15 times more effective underwater than a gecko's foot and three times stickier in air. So far, Northwestern University materials scientist Phillip Messersmith who developed the glue hasn't been completely successful in replicating the mussel's ability and he admits that his substance "is many times lower in adhesion than, say, what a mussel achieves in its native environment."

However, there are still many things in nature we still can't replicate, so the abilities the glue can display are more than satisfactory. The biggest one is the ability to resist water and other fluids, which mean various industrial applications for the new substance.

For instance, it could be used to close wounds without the use of sutures by simply holding the sides of the wound together until they regenerate naturally. "Also, they could be used in unmanned vehicles such as robotics for exploration, rescue and other activities in dry or wet environments where adhesion to surfaces is challenging," added Messersmith.