"Defining molecular level design rules for the development of stronger wet adhesives"

Dr. Roberto Andresen Eguiluz

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

UC Merced

Abstract:

Water and hydrated salt ions bind strongly to various surfaces, including minerals, metals, oxides, and biological interfaces, impairing polymer (e.g., glues,primers, antifouling films) adhesion to surfaces. However, intimate contact between polymers and surfaces is necessary for robust and durable adhesion. This is the case of adhesives for biomedical applications, used in the presence of body fluids like sweat and blood. Developing new technologies that enable controlled and desired robust wet adhesion could assist in emergency wound healing. In this talk, I will discuss how using small molecules inspired by siderophore analogs are allowing us to gain insight into molecular mechanisms that control
wet adhesion under a range of environmental conditions.

Biography:

Dr. Roberto Andresen Eguiluz is an Assistant Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of California Merced since July 2019. He
has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Autonomous University of
Mexico (UNAM), a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University, and had postdoctoral appointments at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the
University of California, Santa Barbara.