Wrinkled adhesive surfaces and methods for the preparation thereof
First Claim
1. A method of preparing a wrinkled adhesive surface, comprising:
- swelling a laterally confined elastomer layer with a polymerizable monomer composition, thereby forming a swollen elastomer layer comprising a wrinkled surface; and
polymerizing the polymerizable monomer composition to stabilize the wrinkled surface;
wherein the stabilized wrinkled surface exhibits a normalized separation strength, σ
s,n, greater than 1, wherein the normalized separation strength is measured using adhesion to a glass surface and normalized relative to adhesion of a smooth surface having the same composition as the stabilized wrinkled surface.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wrinkled adhesive surface is prepared by swelling a laterally confined elastomer layer with a polymerizable monomer composition. Swelling the elastomer layer spontaneously produces a wrinkled surface, and the wrinkles are then stabilized by polymerizing the polymerizable monomer composition. The stabilized wrinkled surfaces prepare by the method can exhibit substantially enhanced adhesion relative to smooth surfaces of the same material. The stabilized wrinkled surfaces can also exhibit adhesion that is repeatable through many cycles of contact with and separation from another surface. The adhesive characteristics of the stabilized wrinkled surfaces can be tailored by manipulating the size of the wrinkles.
25 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A method of preparing a wrinkled adhesive surface, comprising:
-
swelling a laterally confined elastomer layer with a polymerizable monomer composition, thereby forming a swollen elastomer layer comprising a wrinkled surface; and polymerizing the polymerizable monomer composition to stabilize the wrinkled surface;
wherein the stabilized wrinkled surface exhibits a normalized separation strength, σ
s,n, greater than 1, wherein the normalized separation strength is measured using adhesion to a glass surface and normalized relative to adhesion of a smooth surface having the same composition as the stabilized wrinkled surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25)
-
-
19. A method of preparing a replicated wrinkled adhesive surface, comprising:
-
swelling a laterally confined elastomer layer with a polymerizable monomer composition, thereby forming a swollen elastomer layer comprising a wrinkled surface; polymerizing the polymerizable monomer composition to stabilize the wrinkled surface;
wherein the stabilized wrinkled surface exhibits a normalized separation strength, σ
s,n, greater than 1, wherein the normalized separation strength is measured using adhesion to a glass surface and normalized relative to adhesion of a smooth surface having the same composition as the stabilized wrinkled surface;forming a template that is a three-dimensional negative of the stabilized wrinkled surface; and using the template to mold a replicate wrinkled adhesive surface. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 26)
-
-
24. A method of controlling the adhesive properties of a wrinkled surface, comprising:
-
swelling a laterally confined elastomer layer with a polymerizable monomer composition, thereby forming a swollen elastomer layer comprising a wrinkled surface; polymerizing the polymerizable monomer composition to stabilize the wrinkled surface;
wherein the stabilized wrinkled surface exhibits a normalized separation strength, σ
s,n, greater than 1, wherein the normalized separation strength is measured using adhesion to a glass surface and normalized relative to adhesion of a smooth surface having the same composition as the stabilized wrinkled surface; andcontrolling an adhesive property of the wrinkled surface by varying at least one factor selected from the group consisting of thickness of the laterally confined elastomer layer, elastic constant (E*) of the laterally confined elastomer layer, adhesion energy (Gc) of the laterally confined elastomer layer. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
Specification