Development of JKR Instrument and Characterization of Surface Adhesion of Nanocomposite Polymeric Hydrogels

Based on Johnson Kendall Roberts (JKR) theory, the JKR instrument to characterize surface adhesion energy was developed in our laboratory. By using it, the surface adhesion property of nanocomposite polymeric hydrogels (NC gels) was investigated. The nanocomposite polymeric hydrogels were synthesized by polymerizing methyl acrylic acid in aqueous solution of Laponite. The JKR instrument is very suitable for quantitative characterization on the adhesion behavior of soft materials like polymeric hydrogels, and has broad applications in the fields of biomedical engineering, tissue engineering and functional thin films.