Underwater Sticky Notes?

What if you could have an underwater sticky note? Kenneth Chang of the New York Times reported in July on efforts to make adhesives that could do that. The adhesive properties of a Gecko is due to van der Waals forces (also known as dispersion forces). The researchers made an adhesive that mimics the Gecko’s foot pads, but added a mussel protein that displaces water molecules and binds oxygen atoms in the protein to minerals. The adhesive works both in and out of water.

Listen to an interview about sticky things, and try the experiment (you’ll need Scotch tape). Below the fold, you can watch a video showing intermolecular forces in action. Just remember, don’t do this at home!