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Abstract
Due to their uniquely high surface-to-volume ratio, nanofibers are a desired material for various technical applications. However, this surface-to-volume ratio also makes processing difficult as van der Waals forces cause nanofibers to adhere to virtually any surface. The cribellate spider Uloborus plumipes represents a biomimetic paragon for this problem: these spiders integrate thousands of nanofibers into their adhesive capture threads. A comb on their hindmost legs, termed calamistrum, enables the spiders to process the nanofibers without adhering to them. This anti-adhesion is due to a rippled nanotopography on the calamistrum. Via laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), these nanostructures can be recreated on artificial surfaces, mimicking the non-stickiness of the calamistrum. In order to advance the technical implementation of these biomimetic structured foils, we investigated how climatic conditions influence the anti-adhesive performance of our surfaces. Although anti-adhesion worked well at low and high humidity, technical implementations should nevertheless be air-conditioned to regulate temperature: we observed no pronounced anti-adhesive effect at temperatures above 30 °C. This alteration between anti-adhesion and adhesion could be deployed as a temperature-sensitive switch, allowing to swap between sticking and not sticking to nanofibers. This would make handling even easier.
Highlights
Published: 27 November 2021Nanofibers promise immense opportunities for innovation
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To explore the the boundary ary conditions under which fiber handling performed thefuture, future,we wetested tested conditions under which thisthis fiber handling cancan be be performed in in the differentrelative relativehumidity humidity levels and temperatures their influence on anti-adhesive the anti-adhedifferent levels and temperatures andand their influence on the sive properties the nanorippled surfaces
Summary
Their technical application is limited, as their processing is difficult Due to their uniquely high surface-to-volume ratio, which is very advantageous in many of their applications, nanofibers adhere to virtually any surface on account of the prevailing van der Waals forces [6,7]. SEM images of the spider’s capture thread (a) The feather-legged lace weaver, Uloborus plumipes. (b) SEM images of the spider’s capture thread employing a mesh of thousands of nanofibers forming puffy structures. Previous studies demonstrated that the calamistra of the feather-legged lace weavers, Uloborus plumipes, are equipped with nanoripples [21,24] (Figure 2a,b). PET as foils [29,30,31,32], typically thousands of nanosecond laser have tolaser be pulses have be applied at the same irradiated spot.
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