Adsorption and adhesion phenomena of bio-inspired wet adhesives

Key elements in the responsive behavior of these natural underwater adhesives are the presence of catechol and phosphate groups, believed to be responsible for the strong adhesion and solidification of the adhesive through cross-linking reactions. Despite increasing scientific interest, many questions about secretion, responsive setting mechanism and molecular mechanisms remain. In this project we synthesize polyelectrolytes containing catechol and phosphate groups and study adsorption and molecular adhesion mechanisms with reflectometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM).