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Biomimetics
Special Issues
Adhesion and Friction in Biological and Bioinspired Systems
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Adhesion and Friction in Biological and Bioinspired Systems

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomimetic Surfaces and Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 20255

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Thies Büscher

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Interests: biomechanics; functional morphology; biomimetics; adhesion; friction; insect evolution; environmental adaptations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Stanislav N. Gorb

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Interests: biological attachment; functional morphology; biomechanics; biotribology; biomimetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In nature, biological systems employ adhesion and friction in various contexts. On the one hand, organisms have evolved biological attachment systems, where adhesion and friction are enhanced, to attach themselves to various substrates or to connect different body parts of the same organism. On the other hand, within joints or on the skin in the fluid medium, the contact forces can be minimised using a combination of (1) surface chemistry, (2) mechanical properties of the material, (3) fluid/solid lubricants and (4) micro- and nanostructures. These phenomena are well studied only for few selected biological systems and even less considered in biomimetics. The functional principles of such systems employ different priciples that are hierarchically combined at different length scales.

Many functions related to adhesion and friction maximisation or minimisation have evolved convergently in nature, since different species of organisms need to meet individual requirements, as specific boundary conditions arise from their areas of application and are subject to individual demands. As the specific solutions to these dissimilar problems can be very informative to extract functional constraints, the diversity of solutions from biological systems can provide rich inspiration for biomimetic applications.

This Special Issue covers topics on adhesion and friction enhancement from cell adhesion phenomena via non-specific adhesion to the mechanical interlocking of organisms. We also welcome papers dealing with adhesion or friction reduction. This Special Issue is not restricted to particular group of organisms: manuscripts on functional surfaces and systems independent of their biological origin (bacteria, fungi, animals, and plants) are welcomed. These contributions can discuss the attachment of biological surfaces and their relationship with the structure, contact mechanics and chemistry of surfaces. Finally, this Special Issue also embraces contributions from physics and engineering dealing with structure–property relationships of bioinspired attachment devices and their potential applications.

The following topics will be covered:

  • Biological systems with enhanced, reduced or optimised adhesion and friction.
  • Role of adhesion and friction in biological motion.
  • Biomimetic systems inspired by biology and their potential applications.

Dr. Thies Büscher
Prof. Dr. Stanislav N. Gorb
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biological adhesion
  • bioadhesion
  • friction
  • biotribology
  • contact mechanics
  • surfaces
  • tribology
  • biomimetics

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1842 KB  
Article
Effect of Substrate Compliance on the Jumping Mechanism of the Tree Frog (Polypedates dennys)
by Rui Zhou, Baowen Zhang, Zhouyi Wang and Zhendong Dai
Biomimetics 2025, 10(9), 604; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10090604 - 9 Sep 2025
Viewed by 182
Abstract
Animal locomotion in complex environments depends on the ability to adaptively regulate movement in response to substrate mechanics. Tree frogs (Polypedates dennysi), which combine jumping and adhesive capabilities, inhabit arboreal habitats with a wide range of compliant substrates. While previous studies [...] Read more.
Animal locomotion in complex environments depends on the ability to adaptively regulate movement in response to substrate mechanics. Tree frogs (Polypedates dennysi), which combine jumping and adhesive capabilities, inhabit arboreal habitats with a wide range of compliant substrates. While previous studies have offered preliminary insights into their locomotion, the biomechanical mechanisms underlying their adaptability remain poorly characterized. In this study, we developed a stiffness-adjustable takeoff substrate supported by four springs, and combined it with a 3D motion capture system to analyze the jumping dynamics and kinematics of frogs across a broader range of compliant substrates. We found that energy recovery from the substrate was influenced by compliance. On the stiffest substrate, up to 50% of the stored energy was recovered during takeoff, whereas highly compliant substrates caused nonlinear damping, energy dissipation, and even takeoff failure. During takeoff, frogs generated peak normal forces up to 6 times their body weight and fore–aft forces up to 4.5 times their body weight. However, force generation showed limited adaptability to substrate mechanics, while takeoff velocity exhibited stronger adaptability to changes in compliance. These findings reveal a trade-off between substrate mechanics and jump performance. This work provides biomechanical insight into substrate preference and informs the design of bioinspired systems capable of efficient locomotion on compliant substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adhesion and Friction in Biological and Bioinspired Systems)
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25 pages, 14118 KB  
Article
Exploring Adhesive Performance in Horseshoe Bonding Through Advanced Mechanical and Numerical Analysis
by C. M. C. Ferreira, B. D. Simões, E. A. S. Marques, R. J. C. Carbas and L. F. M. da Silva
Biomimetics 2025, 10(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10010002 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1114
Abstract
Despite technological advancements in various industries, the equine sector still relies on old methods like horseshoeing. Although traditional, the industry is dynamic and well-funded. Therefore, there is a need to modernize these methods with more reliable and less invasive solutions for attaching horseshoes [...] Read more.
Despite technological advancements in various industries, the equine sector still relies on old methods like horseshoeing. Although traditional, the industry is dynamic and well-funded. Therefore, there is a need to modernize these methods with more reliable and less invasive solutions for attaching horseshoes to horse hooves. There are currently several commercial adhesive solutions in the market specifically tailored to this application. In this work, the mechanical properties of two acrylic adhesives were characterized under quasi-static conditions. In the characterization process, tensile, shear, and fracture properties were determined. Subsequently, in-joint behavior was assessed using single-lap joints (SLJ) for both similar and dissimilar adherends. The adherends’ materials included steel (St), aluminum (Al), and horse hoof wall (HW), and the following adherend combinations were tested: St–St, Al–Al, and St–HW. A numerical model of similar joints was developed and validated based on experimental results. After its validation, the next steps are the modelling of the real joint and its simulation by considering realistic loading conditions in order to determine the weakest points of the joint. This exploratory study seeks to establish a foundation for investigating alternative adhesive solutions that could address the limitations identified in the solutions studied in this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adhesion and Friction in Biological and Bioinspired Systems)
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13 pages, 2678 KB  
Article
Anti-Adhesive Surfaces Inspired by Bee Mandible Surfaces
by Leonie Saccardi, Jonas Schiebl, Franz Balluff, Ulrich Christ, Stanislav N. Gorb, Alexander Kovalev and Oliver Schwarz
Biomimetics 2023, 8(8), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8080579 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2046
Abstract
Propolis, a naturally sticky substance used by bees to secure their hives and protect the colony from pathogens, presents a fascinating challenge. Despite its adhesive nature, honeybees adeptly handle propolis with their mandibles. Previous research has shown a combination of an anti-adhesive fluid [...] Read more.
Propolis, a naturally sticky substance used by bees to secure their hives and protect the colony from pathogens, presents a fascinating challenge. Despite its adhesive nature, honeybees adeptly handle propolis with their mandibles. Previous research has shown a combination of an anti-adhesive fluid layer and scale-like microstructures on the inner surface of bee mandibles. Our aim was to deepen our understanding of how surface energy and microstructure influence the reduction in adhesion for challenging substances like propolis. To achieve this, we devised surfaces inspired by the intricate microstructure of bee mandibles, employing diverse techniques including roughening steel surfaces, creating lacquer structures using Bénard cells, and moulding resin surfaces with hexagonal patterns. These approaches generated patterns that mimicked the bee mandible structure to varying degrees. Subsequently, we assessed the adhesion of propolis on these bioinspired structured substrates. Our findings revealed that on rough steel and resin surfaces structured with hexagonal dimples, propolis adhesion was significantly reduced by over 40% compared to unstructured control surfaces. However, in the case of the lacquer surface patterned with Bénard cells, we did not observe a significant reduction in adhesion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adhesion and Friction in Biological and Bioinspired Systems)
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14 pages, 5061 KB  
Article
A New Concept of Sustainable Wind Turbine Blades: Bio-Inspired Design with Engineered Adhesives
by Leon Mishnaevsky, Jr., Mohsen Jafarpour, Johanna Krüger and Stanislav N. Gorb
Biomimetics 2023, 8(6), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8060448 - 22 Sep 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5599
Abstract
In this paper, a new concept of extra-durable and sustainable wind turbine blades is presented. The two critical materials science challenges of the development of wind energy now are the necessity to prevent the degradation of wind turbine blades for several decades, and, [...] Read more.
In this paper, a new concept of extra-durable and sustainable wind turbine blades is presented. The two critical materials science challenges of the development of wind energy now are the necessity to prevent the degradation of wind turbine blades for several decades, and, on the other side, to provide a solution for the recyclability and sustainability of blades. In preliminary studies by DTU Wind, it was demonstrated that practically all typical wind turbine blade degradation mechanisms (e.g., coating detachment, buckling, spar cap/shell adhesive joint degradation, trailing edge failure, etc.) have their roots in interface degradation. The concept presented in this work includes the development of bio-inspired dual-mechanism-based interface adhesives (combining mechanical interlocking of fibers and chemical adhesion), which ensures, on the one side, extra-strong attachment during the operation time, and on the other side, possible adhesive joint separation for re-use of the blade parts. The general approach and physical mechanisms of adhesive strengthening and separation are described. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adhesion and Friction in Biological and Bioinspired Systems)
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Review

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73 pages, 31103 KB  
Review
Bioinspired and Multifunctional Tribological Materials for Sliding, Erosive, Machining, and Energy-Absorbing Conditions: A Review
by Rahul Kumar, Mansoureh Rezapourian, Ramin Rahmani, Himanshu S. Maurya, Nikhil Kamboj and Irina Hussainova
Biomimetics 2024, 9(4), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9040209 - 30 Mar 2024
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 10246
Abstract
Friction, wear, and the consequent energy dissipation pose significant challenges in systems with moving components, spanning various domains, including nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) and bio-MEMS (microrobots), hip prostheses (biomaterials), offshore wind and hydro turbines, space vehicles, solar mirrors for photovoltaics, triboelectric generators, etc. Nature-inspired [...] Read more.
Friction, wear, and the consequent energy dissipation pose significant challenges in systems with moving components, spanning various domains, including nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) and bio-MEMS (microrobots), hip prostheses (biomaterials), offshore wind and hydro turbines, space vehicles, solar mirrors for photovoltaics, triboelectric generators, etc. Nature-inspired bionic surfaces offer valuable examples of effective texturing strategies, encompassing various geometric and topological approaches tailored to mitigate frictional effects and related functionalities in various scenarios. By employing biomimetic surface modifications, for example, roughness tailoring, multifunctionality of the system can be generated to efficiently reduce friction and wear, enhance load-bearing capacity, improve self-adaptiveness in different environments, improve chemical interactions, facilitate biological interactions, etc. However, the full potential of bioinspired texturing remains untapped due to the limited mechanistic understanding of functional aspects in tribological/biotribological settings. The current review extends to surface engineering and provides a comprehensive and critical assessment of bioinspired texturing that exhibits sustainable synergy between tribology and biology. The successful evolving examples from nature for surface/tribological solutions that can efficiently solve complex tribological problems in both dry and lubricated contact situations are comprehensively discussed. The review encompasses four major wear conditions: sliding, solid-particle erosion, machining or cutting, and impact (energy absorbing). Furthermore, it explores how topographies and their design parameters can provide tailored responses (multifunctionality) under specified tribological conditions. Additionally, an interdisciplinary perspective on the future potential of bioinspired materials and structures with enhanced wear resistance is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adhesion and Friction in Biological and Bioinspired Systems)
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