Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biological Fibrillar Adhesives: Functional Principles and Biomimetic Applications

  • Reference work entry
Handbook of Adhesion Technology

Abstract

Specific mechanisms of adhesion found in nature are discussed in the chapter Bioadhesives (Chap. 53). One of the most discussed biological systems in the last decade is the so-called fibrillar adhesive of insects, spiders, and geckos. These systems are adapted for dynamic adhesion of animals during locomotion and, therefore, have some extraordinary properties, such as (1) directionality, (2) preload by shear, (3) quick detachment by peeling, (4) low dependence on the substrate chemistry, (5) reduced ability for contamination and self-cleaning, and (6) absence or strong reduction of self-adhesion. In the present chapter, we review on functional principles of such biological systems in various animal groups with an emphasis on insects and discuss their biomimetic potential. Data on ultrastructure and mechanics of materials of adhesive pad materials, movements during making and breaking contact, and the role that the fluid plays in the contact between pad and substrate are presented here. The main goal was to demonstrate how a comparative, experimental approach in studying biological systems aids in developing novel adhesive materials and systems. The micro-structured adhesive systems, inspired by studies of biological systems of insects, spiders, and geckos, are also shortly reviewed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 599.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alibardi L (1997) Ann Sci Nat Zool Biol Anim 18:51

    Google Scholar 

  • Arzt E, Gorb SN, Spolenak R (2003) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:10603

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Autumn K (2007) Gecko adhesion: structure, function, and applications. MRS Bull 32:473–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Autumn K, Liang YA, Hsieh ST, Zesch W, Chan WP, Kenny TW, Fearing R (2000) Nature 405:681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Autumn K, Sitti M, Liang YA, Peattie AM, Hansen M (2002) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:12252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Autumn K, Dittmore A, Santos D, Spenko M, Cutkosky M (2006) J Exp Biol 209:3569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Autumn K, Gravish N, Wilkinson M, Santos D, Spenko M, Cutkosky M (2007) Frictional adhesion of natural and synthetic gecko setal arrays. In: Proceedings of 30th Annual Meeting of Adhesion Society, Tampa

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes WJP (2006) J Comp Physiol A 192:1179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauchhenss E (1979) Zoomorphologie 93:99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beutel RG, Gorb SN (2001) J Zool Syst Evol Res 39:177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beutel RG and Gorb SN (2006) A revised interpretation of the evolution of attachment structures in Hexapoda with special emphasis on Mantophasmatodea. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 64(1):3–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen B, Wu P, Gao H (2009) J R Soc Interface 6:529

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung JY, Chaudhury MK (2005) J R Soc Interface 2:55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creton C, Gorb SN (2007) MRS Bull 32:466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creton C, Papon E (2003) MRS Bull 28:419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlquist CA (1969) Pressure-sensitive adhesives. In: Patrick RL (ed) Treatise on adhesion and adhesives, vol 2. Dekker, New York, pp 219–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Daltorio KA, Gorb SN, Peressadko A, Horchler AD, Ritzmann RE, Quinn RD (2005) A robot that climbs walls using micro-structured polymer feet. In: Proceedings on International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR). Emerald Group Publishing, London, pp 131–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies J, Haq S, Hawke T, Sargent JP (2009) Int J Adhes Adhes 29:380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards JS, Tarkanian M (1970) Proc Roy Entomol Soc Lond A 45:1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eimüller T, Guttmann P, Gorb SN (2008) J Exp Biol 211:1958

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisner T, Aneshansley DJ (2000) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:6568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Federle W (2006) J Exp Biol 209:2611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Federle W, Riehle M, Curtis ASG, Full RJ (2002) Integr Comp Biol 42:1100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao H, Wang X, Yao H, Gorb SN, Arzt E (2005) Mech Mater 37:275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaume L, Perret P, Gorb E, Gorb S, Labat J-J, Rowe N (2004) Arthropod Struct Dev 33:103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ge L, Sethi S, Ci L, Ajayan PM, Dhinojwala A (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci 104:10792

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geim AK, Dubonos SV, Grigorieva IV, Novoselov KS, Zhukov AA (2003) Nat Mater 2:461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gladun D, Gorb SN, Frantsevich LI (2009) Alternative tasks of the insect arolium with special reference to hymenoptera. In: Gorb SN (ed) Functional surfaces in biology – adhesion related phenomena. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 67–103

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb EV, Gorb SN (2002) Entomol Exp Appl 105:13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb EV, Gorb SN (2006) Do plant waxes make insect attachment structures dirty? Experimental evidence for the contamination hypothesis. In: Herrel A, Speck T, Rowe N (eds) Ecology and biomechanics: a mechanical approach to the ecology of animals and plants. Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, pp 147–162

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb EV, Haas E, Henrich A, Enders S, Barbakadze N, Gorb SN (2005) J Exp Biol 208:4651

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb EV, Hosoda N, Miksch C, Gorb SN (2010) J R Soc Interface 7:1571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN (1998) The design of the fly adhesive pad: distal tenent setae are adapted to the delivery of an adhesive secretion. Proc Roy Soc Lond B 265:747–752

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN (2001) Attachment devices of insect cuticle. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN (2005) Amer Entomol 51:31

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN (2009) Adhesion in Nature. In: Brockmann W, Geiß PL, Klingen J, Schröder B (eds) Adhesive bonding – materials, applications and technology. Wiley, Weinheim, pp 346–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN (2010) Biological and biologically inspired attachment systems. In: Bhushan B (ed) Springer handbook of nanotechnology. Springer, Berlin, pp 1525–1551

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN, Beutel RG (2001) Naturwissenschaften 88:530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN, Varenberg M (2007) J Adhes Sci Technol 21:1175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN, Varenberg M, Peressadko A, Tuma J (2007a) J R Soc Interface 4:271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorb SN, Sinha M, Peressadko A, Daltorio KA, Quinn RD (2007b) Bioinsp Biomim 2:S117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottlieb Binder GmbH & Co KG (2010) http://www.binder.biz/range

  • Heepe L, Varenberg M, Itovich Y, Gorb SN (2010) Suction component in adhesion of mushroom-shaped microstructure. J R Soc Interface. doi:10.1098/rsif.2010.0420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiller U (1968) Z Morphol Tiere 62:307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homann H (1957) Naturwissenschaften 44:318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huber G, Gorb SN, Spolenak R, Arzt E (2005a) Biol Lett 1:2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huber G, Mantz H, Spolenak R, Mecke K, Jacobs K, Gorb SN, Arzt E (2005b) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:16293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huber G, Gorb SN, Hosoda N, Spolenak R, Arzt E (2007) Influence of surface roughness on gecko adhesion. Acta Biomaterialia 3:607–610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishii S (1987) Appl Entomol Zool 22:222

    Google Scholar 

  • Israelachvili JN (1992) Intermolecular and surface forces, 2nd edn. Academic, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Jagota A, Bennison SJ (2002) Integr Comp Biol 42:1140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson KL, Kendall K, Roberts AD (1971) Surface energy and the contact of elastic solids. Proc Roy Soc Lond A 324:301–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall K (1975) J Phys D Appl Phys 8:1449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kesel AB, Martin A, Seidl T (2003) J Exp Biol 206:2733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim TW, Bhushan B (2007) J Adhes Sci Technol 21:1

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Sitti M (2006) Appl Phys Lett 89:26911

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Aksak B, Sitti M (2007) Appl Phys Lett 91:221913

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kosaki A, Yamaoka R (1996) Jpn J Appl Entomol Zool 40:47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langer MG, Ruppersberg JP, Gorb SN (2004) Proc R Soc Lond B 271:2209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy MP, Aksak B, Sitti M (2007) J Adhes Sci Technol 21:1281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niederegger S, Gorb SN (2003) J Insect Physiol 49:611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niederegger S, Gorb SN (2006) J Comp Physiol A 192:1223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niederegger S, Gorb SN, Vötsch W (2001) Fly walking: a compromise between attachment and motion? In: Wisser A, Nachtigall W (eds) Technische Biologie und Bionik. 5. Bionik - Kongress, Dessau 2000. Gustav Fisher Verlag Stuttgart, Jena, Lübeck, Ulm

    Google Scholar 

  • Northen MT, Turner KL (2005) Nanotechnology 16:1159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peattie AM, Full RJ (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:18595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier Y, Smilowitz Z (1987) Can Entomol 119:1139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peressadko A, Gorb SN (2004a) J Adhes 80:247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peressadko A, Gorb SN (2004b) Surface profile and friction force generated by insects. In: Boblan I, Bannasch R (eds) First international industrial conference bionik. Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, vol 249,Reihe 15. VDI Verlag, Düsseldorf, pp 257–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Persson BNJ (2003) J Chem Phys 118:7614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Persson BNJ, Gorb SN (2003) J Chem Phys 119:11437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Popov VL (2010) Contact mechanics and friction: physical principles and applications. Springer, Berlin

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Richards AG, Richards PA (1979) Int J Insect Morphol Embryol 8:143

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Rizzo NW, Gardner KH, Walls D, Keiper-Hrynko JNM, Ganzke TS, Hallahan DL (2006) J R Soc Interface 3:441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roll B (1995) J Zool 235:289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruibal R, Ernst V (1965) J Morphol 117:271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schargott M (2009) Bioinsp Biomim 4(026002):9

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherge M, Gorb SN (2001) Biological micro- and nanotribology: nature‘s solutions. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleich HH, Kastle W (1986) Amphibia-Reptilia 7:141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sitti M, Fearing RS (2003) J Adhes Sci Technol 17:1055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith JM, Barnes WJP, Downie JR, Ruxton GD (2006) J Comp Physiol A 192:1193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spolenak R, Gorb SN, Gao H, Arzt E (2005a) Proc R Soc Lond A 461:305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spolenak R, Gorb S, Arzt E (2005b) Acta Biomater 1:5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spuskanyuk AV, McMeeking RM, Deshpande VS, Arzt E (2008) Acta Biomater 4:1669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stork NE (1980a) J Exp Biol 88:91

    Google Scholar 

  • Stork NE (1980b) Zool J Linn Soc 68:173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stork NE (1983) J Nat Hist 17:829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varenberg M, Gorb SN (2008a) J R Soc Interface 5:383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varenberg M, Gorb SN (2008b) J R Soc Interface 5:785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varenberg M, Gorb SN (2008c) J R Soc Interface 4:721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varenberg M, Pugno NM, Gorb SN (2010) Soft Matter 6:3269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voigt D, Schuppert JM, Dattinger S, Gorb SN (2008) J Insect Physiol 54:765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vötsch W, Nicholson G, Müller R, Stierhof Y-D, Gorb SN, Schwarz U (2002) Insect Biochem Mol Biol 32:1605

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker G, Yule AB, Ratcliffe J (1985) J Zool Lond 205:297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yurdumakan B, Raravikar NR, Ajayan PM, Dhinojwala A (2005) Chem Commun 16041421:3799

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute at the University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1–9, D-24098, Kiel, Germany

    Prof. Stanislav N. Gorb

Authors
  1. Prof. Stanislav N. Gorb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stanislav N. Gorb .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering (DEMec), Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    Lucas F. M. da Silva

  2. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia

    Andreas Öchsner

  3. Emeritus Professor of Applied Mechanics, University of Bristol Queen's Building University Walk, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK

    Robert D. Adams

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Gorb, S.N. (2011). Biological Fibrillar Adhesives: Functional Principles and Biomimetic Applications. In: da Silva, L.F.M., Öchsner, A., Adams, R.D. (eds) Handbook of Adhesion Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01169-6_54

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation