Thermoresponsive chemical connectors based on hybrid nanowire forests

Abstract

(Figure Presented) Sticking around in the heat: Self-selective, programmable fasteners, based on hybrid core/multishell nanowire forests with an outer shell of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel, reversibly change their wet adhesion properties in response to a change in temperature. The shear adhesion strength of the nanowire fasteners can be modulated by a factor of 170 in under 5 min in response to a temperature change of 5°C. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.