Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Materials science

Dry solution to a sticky problem

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Sticking plasters revolutionized the protection of minor wounds, but they're not ideal for fragile skin. A material that mimics the adhesive properties of certain beetles' feet might provide a solution.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Glueless.

References

  1. Kwak, M. K., Jeong, H.-E. & Suh, K. Y. Adv. Mater. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201101694 (2011).

  2. Prausnitz, M. R., Mitragotri, S. & Langer, R. Nature Rev. Drug Discov. 3, 115–124 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Prausnitz, M. R. & Langer, R. Nature Biotechnol. 26, 1261–1268 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bianchi, J. & Cameron, J. Br. J. Community Nurs. 13, Issue 3 suppl., S26–S32 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/worldageing19502050/pdf/80chapterii.pdf

  6. Smith, M. A., Jones, N. M. M., Page, S. L. & Dirda, M. P. J. Am. Inst. Conserv. 23, 101–113 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/dickson.html

  8. Auchter, G., Aydin, O., Zetti, A. & Satas, D. in Handbook of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Technology 3rd edn (ed. Satas, D.) 444–514 (Satas & Associates, 1999).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Autumn, K. et al. Nature 405, 681–685 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Mahdavi, A. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 2307–2312 (2008).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Carbone, G., Pierro, E. & Gorb, S. N. Soft Matter 7, 5545–5552 (2011).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kim, D.-H. et al. Science 333, 838–843 (2011).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Chan, E. P., Karp, J. M. & Langer, R. S. J. Polym. Sci. B 49, 40–44 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. and the Department of Medicine, Jeffrey M. Karp is at the Center for Regenerative Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,

    Jeffrey M. Karp

  2. Robert Langer is at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,

    Robert Langer

Authors
  1. Jeffrey M. Karp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert Langer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jeffrey M. Karp or Robert Langer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karp, J., Langer, R. Dry solution to a sticky problem. Nature 477, 42–43 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/477042a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/477042a

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation