Hygroscopic compounds in spider aggregate glue remove interfacial water to maintain adhesion in humid conditions.

ABSTRACT: Adhesion in humid environments is fundamentally challenging because of the presence of interfacial bound water. Spiders often hunt in wet habitats and overcome this challenge using sticky aggregate glue droplets whose adhesion is resistant to interfacial failure under humid conditions. The mechanism by which spider aggregate glue avoids interfacial failure in humid environments is still unknown. Here, we investigate the mechanism of aggregate glue adhesion by using interface-sensitive spectroscopy in conjunction with infrared spectroscopy. We demonstrate that glycoproteins act as primary binding agents at the interface. As humidity increases, we observe reversible changes in the interfacial secondary structure of glycoproteins. Surprisingly, we do not observe liquid-like water at the inter

SUBMITTER: Singla S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5964112 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature