| Abstract: | Novel insights into the “superglue” of velvet worms The biological “superglue” of velvet worms provides inspiration towards circular processing of advanced polymers. In nature, velvet worms employ a fluid, protein‐rich secretion for hunting and defense, which forms rapidly into stiff fibers. The fluid‐to‐fiber transition occurs outside the body without regulations, indicating that the “instructions” for assembly are programmed into the protein building blocks. Electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged protein domains and free ions drive protein folding, self‐organization (coacervation) and stabilization of the building blocks into nanoscale droplets. Yet, nanodroplets can be instantly transformed via simple mechanical stimulus as proteins partially unfold, merge together and form a strong network, which solidifies into a fiber. The mechanism is based on basic physico‐chemical principles. Thus, by extracting these principles, new methods of synthesizing sustainable polymer‐based materials can be developed. |
