Phys.org March 13, 2024
Researchers at the University of Maryland discovered that hard, electrical conductors (e.g., metals or graphite) could be adhered to soft, aqueous materials (e.g., hydrogels, fruit, or animal tissue) by a low DC electric field. They applied 5 V DC to graphite slabs spanning a tall cylindrical gel of acrylamide which resulted in a strong adhesion between the anode (+) and the gel in about 3 min. This adhesion lasted after the field was removed. They called it hard–soft electroadhesion or EA[HS]. Depending on the material, adhesion occurred at the anode (+), cathode (−), or both electrodes. In many cases, EA[HS] could be reversed by reapplying the field with reversed polarity. Adhesion occurs with copper, lead, and tin but not nickel, iron, or zinc. They showed that EA[HS] caused by electrochemical reactions that generated chemical bonds between the electrode and the polymers in the gel. EA[HS] was also achieved underwater. According to the researchers EA[HS] can create new hybrid materials, thus enabling applications in robotics, energy storage… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
These soft materials… permanently stick to hard surfaces just by passing electricity through them. Credit: ACS Central Science, 2024, XXXX, XXX, XXX-XXX, March 13, 2024