A Smart Adhesive Joint: Entropic Control of Adhesion at a Polymer/Metal Interface

Abstract

The study of adhesion has a long and rich history, with theory, experiments, and applications bridging numerous disciplines, including physics, chemistry, engineering, and medicine. This diverse interest has led to the development of a large number of methods for both enhancing and inhibiting adhesion at specific interfaces of interest. We report herein "smart" adhesion at a polymer/metal (oxide) interface that responds reversibly to changes in temperature by increasing or decreasing in magnitude. The temperature dependence in this system arises from the rubber elasticity of the polymer, 1,4-polybutadiene, and mirrors the interfacial behavior of the same polymer against water. Such systems offer unique opportunities for designing responsive materials whose properties can be actively controlled.