CAREER: Durable Biomimetic Adhesives for Structural Engineering Applications

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program will provide a new, nature-inspired and durable adhesive joints in concrete structures by mimicking mussel adhesion. Adhesive joints are used in multiple engineering fields to accelerate production, prolong product life, reduce stress concentrations, and control maintenance costs. Structural engineering, however, relies on bulkier and less economical mechanical joining methods as the existing adhesives are not durable in wet environments.

Inspired by mussels’ ability to establish and maintain adhesion to mineral substrates underwater, this project will create a moisture-resistant adhesive joining method for structural concrete. This progress in adhesives technology will (1) improve resilience of existing infrastructure by enabling innovative, durable repair and retrofitting methods and (2) stimulate the advancement of disruptive construction techniques (e.g., additive manufacturing and prefabricated construction) for affordable housing and next-generation civil infrastructure.

The project integrates research in biomimetic adhesion with an educational program to attract and retain highly creative STEM talent, contributing to a workforce that can solve engineering challenges of the future.

The project objectives are to: (1) elucidate chemical interactions responsible for mussels’ adhesion to concrete; (2) investigate energy dissipation mechanisms of mussel adhesive pad on concrete by establishing the functional relationships between mussel substrate selection, structure of the mussel adhesive pad, and the adhesive bond energy on model substrates; and, accordingly, (3) devise a novel biomimetic approach of adhesive joint design. The new fundamental knowledge will be used to create a prototype adhesive concrete joint that advances two new fabrication procedures—a synthesis route for a moisture-resistant primer, and a method of producing an adhesive with gradient stiffness.

The education goal of this project is to nurture a cadre of highly creative engineers and materials scientists by broadening participation of neurodiverse students who innately exhibit greater creativity than the neurotypical population. Correspondingly, the project implements: (1) hands-on outreach activities that embody Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles for pre-college students; and (2) summer research internships and personalized mentoring for high-school students and first-year engineering students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The project lays the basis for the PI to achieve his long-term career goal of expanding the use of adhesive connections in structural engineering while cultivating a neurodiverse engineering workforce.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.