Biomimetic, antiadhesive surface structure inspired by the calamistra setae of cribellate spiders for electrospun nanofiber handling

Due to their excellent surface-to-volume ratio, nanofibers (i.e., fibers with a diameter of approximately 10 to 800 nm) are of increasing interest to engineers and scientists in a broad spectrum of applications. However, due to van der Waals forces, these nanofibers tend to adhere strongly to any surface, which makes further processing very challenging. In nature, we find animals that can easily handle nanofibers: Cribellate spiders use a comb-like structure, the so-called calamistrum, to produce, handle, and process nanofibers. Due to a fingerprint-like surface nanostructure, nanofibers do not adhere to the calamistrum. The principle interaction between this fingerprint-like surface nanostructure and single nanofibers has recently been described in a publication. The fingerprint-like surface structure was replicated on a technical metal surface using laser-induced periodic surface structures, which resulted in material properties resembling those of the natural model.