While I’m not familiar with Emiliano Lepore’s work, his co-author’s name, Nicola Pugno, rang a bell; he’s mentioned in my Feb. 3, 2012 posting about spiderwebs and strength and in my Nanotech Mysteries wiki entry, ‘Scientists read comics, watch tv, and more‘ about adhesive properties at the nanoscale. The two men have authored a book, ‘An Experimental Study on Adhesive or Anti-Adhesive, Bio-Inspired Experimental Nanomaterials‘ (print version) according to an April 2, 2014 news item on Nanowerk (Note: A link has been removed),
While recognising that bio-inspiration for technological development is already an established concept, “An Experimental Study on Adhesive or Anti-Adhesive, Bio-Inspired Experimental Nanomaterials” by Italian scientists Emiliano Lepore and Nicola Pugno, released in Open Access by De Gruyter Open, sets out to explore the potential of three categories of bio-inspired materials, namely, adhesives, anti-adhesives, and materials designed to offer exceptional characteristics – particularly in terms of their strength-to-weight ratio. In each of these areas, the technologies, which are currently at the forefront of scientific research, are described in relation to how they have been inspired by nature in an attempt to optimise their physical characteristics and performance in operation, with an aim to design and develop new innovative products.
Lepore and Pugno investigate a wide range of natural systems and employ original experimental procedures, the book additionally stands out for its rigorous and innovative approach to biomaterials. For example, the challenge of creating strong, reliable and affordable adhesives appears in numerous areas of engineering, such as the development of aircrafts, and all types of vehicles for transportation on land or water, where the need to save energy consumption by reducing weight is of paramount importance. There is also a specific interest in bonding dissimilar materials, which due to their physical properties prohibit the application of more conventional joining techniques. In this field, inspiration has been sought by investigating the adhesive abilities of insects, spiders, and reptiles.
The book published by De Gruyter is available in a free PDF format in addition to the print version which can be purchased through Amazon.