Pectin Mucilage\nAdhesion on a Flat Substrate: A Molecular\nSimulation Approach to Plant-Seed Adhesion

We investigate the adhesion of pectin-mucilage-coated\nseeds to\nsubstrate surfaces, focusing on the effect of water content. It is\nknown that the adhesion of pectin mucilage increases with water loss,\neventually dropping to zero beyond a certain point. To explore this\nphenomenon, we develop and parametrize a coarse-grained many-body\ndissipative-particle dynamics (MDPD) model. First, we examine the\nadhesion of water between two flat surfaces to understand the factors\ninfluencing the pull-off force. Then, we determine the pull-off force\nof polymer solutions with varying pectin concentrations. Our findings\nshow that the pull-off force increases as the pectin content rises\nand as water is lost. This is because more pectin becomes available\nto interact with the substrate surface, enhancing adhesive strength.\nAdditionally, the concentration-driven transition of the polymer from\na melt state to a glassy state must be considered, as it significantly\naffects the pull-off force.