Fracture Between Self-Assembled Monolayers

While it is intuitive that molecular interaction should correlate to the mechanical properties of a material, it has only recently become possible to make the measurements necessary to trace the effects of molecular interaction across length scales to properties at the level of the material. The utility of “classical” polymeric adhesives is underscored by their widespread use in primary structural applications ranging from aerospace, automotive, and civil structures to biomedical implants and microelectronic devices. To date, the vast majority of the efforts directed toward improving the strength and durability of adhesives have been largely empirical. At the same time, the drive towards miniaturization in MEMS and NEMS devices and nano patterning means that an understanding of adhesion and fracture at smaller and smaller scales needs to be developed. This actually provides an opportunity to decrease the amount of empiricism as the number of variables is essentially decreased.