Replica flower pollen demonstrates multiple levels of bonding
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027535
Science Daily : Sunflower pollen grains are nearly spherical and are covered with spikes that can become intertwined with hairs on insects’ legs or adhere to flat surfaces at nanometer scales via van der Waals forces. Ken Sandhage of Georgia Tech and his colleagues wanted to reproduce that short-range adhesive ability and add another form of adhesion that would work over longer distances. To do so, they coated individual pollen grains with iron oxide and then heated the grains to burn away the organic material and magnetize the metal structure. The resulting metallic reproduction of the pollen grain maintained the spherical shape and spikes of the original grain and successfully bonded at both nanometer and millimeter scales.
