The Jewel of Adhesion Science: A Multiscale Approach

During a captivating conversation last week, a dear friend of mine, who possesses an uncanny ability to delve into the depths of scientific research and life philosophy, shared his hard-earned thoughts on the fundamental difference between elastomers and gels from multiscale arguments as well as a fundamental reason why numerous academic studies on hydrogels are focused on designing polymer networks. With this enlightening perspective in mind, he reiterated a profound statement: “Multiscale approach is the jewel of adhesion science".

As a polymer scientist, I've encountered the term “multiscale” frequently, particularly within the computational physics and chemistry modeling community. It is often represented graphically, with the x-axis depicting length scale and the y-axis representing time scale. This visualization effectively showcases the diverse scientific approaches employed to explore the fundamental aspects of materials, ranging from electronic configurations to nanoscale, microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale phenomena.

​Throughout my PhD program, I’ve primarily focused on developing and understanding new materials by incorporating macroscale cut patterns into adhesive tapes and dispersing microscale particles within polymer matrices. However, now, in my post-PhD career, I’ve transitioned my attention towards much smaller length scales, specifically sub-nanoscale monomer designs, as well as nanoscale polymer network and nanocomposite designs. Nonetheless, to ensure the functionality of these materials across various applications, I’m leveraging my previous knowledge of polymer science to interpret and optimize the behavior of materials at both the micro- and macroscale levels.

This holistic approach prevalent in current scientific research often leads to a “feel-good” headache, an intriguing phenomenon that I believe involves a flurry of neuron firing. It’s as if new neural blocks are created in my brain, forming a solid foundation for fresh ways of thinking. These new blocks then seamlessly connect with pre-existing ones, facilitating a synergistic and more comprehensive top-down methodology for designing new materials. It’s like building a puzzle, where each new piece adds to the existing framework, gradually revealing a complete picture.

In today’s world, where we must create new materials that are not only safer but also possess the desirable properties, processing efficiency, and cost competitiveness comparable to existing options, adopting a holistic viewpoint can become a crucial tool for solving the increasingly complex problems in materials science.