Soft dendritic colloids: advanced adhesive technology with gecko-like properties

Overview

Soft Dendritic Colloids (SDCs) are a revolutionary adhesive material developed by Prof. Velev and his team, characterized by their unique gecko leg-inspired properties. These colloids are fabricated through a simple, scalable process of multiphasic precipitation in turbulently sheared liquid media. The polymer nanofiber corona surrounding the SDCs endows them with extraordinary adhesive strength, making them suitable for forming superadhesives and specialized coatings. The material's universal adhesivity is achieved through van der Waals forces and the "contact splitting" phenomenon, offering significant potential for innovative product formulations.

Technical specifications

• Fabrication: Multiphasic precipitation in turbulently sheared liquid media.
• Adhesive Mechanism: Utilizes omnipresent van der Waals forces and contact splitting akin to gecko legs.
• Material Compatibility: Can be made from various polymers, biopolymers, or elastomers.
• Reversibility: Adhesivity can be reversed on demand using inert liquids that suppress van der Waals interactions via refractive index matching.
• Applications: Suitable for coatings, adhesives, coagulants, microparticle collectors, rheology modifiers, gels, cosmetics, and food modifiers.
• Scalability: Infinitely scalable liquid fabrication method.

Technology readiness level

SDCs are at Technology Readiness Level 6, indicating that they have been validated in relevant environments and are ready for pilot-scale manufacturing. The development process is supported by Benanova Inc, with potential for sponsored research partnerships to explore specific applications and scale-up processes.