Real-time observation of the secretion of a nanocomposite adhesive from English ivy (Hedera helix)

Many advances have been made in the study of micro- to nano-scale attachment mechanisms in animals; however, little interest has been focused on identifying similar phenomenon in plants. In 2008, our group discovered that surfaces where ivy attached had uniform nanoparticles that were hypothesized to contribute to its amazing attaching strength. In this study, we visualized the secretion of adhesive from the root hairs of English ivy adventitious roots using a novel video microscopy apparatus. In addition, we were able to correlate the deposited adhesive with uniform nanoparticles through atomic force microscopy (AFM). This conclusively demonstrated that the nanoparticles were associated with the adhesive forming a natural nanocomposite. This discovery relays the importance of studying plant attachment for bio-inspiration of novel nano-scale attachment strategies.

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► English ivy attachment was observed at the macro, micro, and nano-scale.
► Macro-scale analysis demonstrated that adhesive was secreted prior to contact.
► Micro-scale observations found that root hairs secreted the adhesive.
► Nano-scale analysis showed uniform nanoparticles where adhesive was secreted.
► The combined results show that ivy root hairs secrete a nanocomposite adhesive.