Date of Award
January 2015
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Chemical Engineering
First Advisor
Julie C Liu
Committee Member 1
Jonathan J Wilker
Committee Member 2
You-Yeon Won
Committee Member 3
Chongli Yuan
Abstract
When we engineer new materials, nature provides us with a wealth of inspiration, often in the form of proteins. The blue mussel Mytilus edulis and sandcastle worm Phragmatopoma californica produce adhesive proteins that help them to adhere in wet, turbulent environments. The frog Notaden bennetti secretes a sticky, proteinaceous emulsion that helps it defend against predators; the velvet worm bombards a similar protein onto its prey to prevent its escape. Mammals and insects produce remarkably elastic proteins to support highly repetitive motions. This work describes the design, production, and characterization of several biomimetic materials inspired by natural adhesive proteins.
Recommended Citation
Brennan, Mary Jane, "Design and Characterization of Biomimetic Adhesive Materials" (2015). Open Access Dissertations. 1340.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1340