Adhesive is something that is used in a myriad of things we use in our daily lives that you might not think about. Adhesives and various glue are used to hold cars together and in the construction industry, among others. Often, researchers turn to the natural world around us for inspiration in developing better products, including adhesives.
Many innovations and inspiration come from oceans and water creatures. For example, shellfish, like shellfish, has been able to stick to rocks and other objects using biological glue types for a long time before humans have their own glue. Interestingly, even though there is scientific advances, natural adhesives created by shellfish are far stronger and more durable than adhesives developed by humans.
In an enhanced adhesive search, a chemist at Purdue University hopes to learn how the shells create this natural adhesive and may use it in the human world. Professor Chemistry Jonathan Wilker said that his team began by looking at animals that made adhesives. Wilker said that scientists still worked to understand fundamentally how animals such as oysters and shells create adhesives they can make and how chemistry and techniques work together.
One of the main use for adhesives is currently in the medical field, especially in operations, where adhesives are used to close wounds. One challenge for the adhesive used on and in the human body is that the body is wet and keep moving. Researchers are developing new adhesives that will work under water and are stronger and more sustainable when made from food products that can be jammed when needed.
Walker said the team was trying to make adhesives with new functionality. For example, they want to add a chemical group to target properties such as wet bonds, flexibility such as rubber, or the ability to bind and de-bond if needed. Wilker said that while the team used chemistry inspired by shellfish, their system simplifies what produces animals. This team mainly focuses on the production of non-oil and biodegradable glue with a reversible properties. The team has now developed several new adhesives and works to file a patent to commercialize them.
