Marine mussel adhesion and bio-inspired wet adhesives

Mussel can achieve remarkably robust attachment to various surfaces underwater by secreting mussel foot proteins (mfps) which are heavily decorated with 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanie (DOPA) and producing the proteinaceous byssus. Efforts have been dedicated to understanding the DOPA-mediated adhesive chemistry and the intermolecular & surface interaction mechanisms practiced by the foot proteins of mussels through nanomechanical force probing techniques and surface analytical tools. Based on these interaction mechanisms, mussel-inspired functional materials have been developed with a broad range of applications in engineering, biomedical and environmental fields.