Abstract
Perhaps one of the most astounding characteristics of the gecko adhesive system is its versatility. Geckos can locomote across complex substrates in a variety of conditions with apparent ease. In contrast, many of our synthetic pressure sensitive adhesives fail on substrates that are dirty, wet or rough. Although many studies have investigated the effect of environmental challenges on performance, the interaction of multiple, potentially compromising variables is studied less often. Here we focus on substrate structure and surface water, both of which are highly relevant to the biological system and to synthetic design. To do this we utilized a highly controlled, patterned substrate (Sharklet®, by Sharklet® Technologies Inc.). This allowed us to test independently and jointly the effects of reduced surface area substrates, with a defined pattern, on adhesion in both air and water. Our results show that adhesion is not significantly impaired in air, whereas surface area and pattern significantly affect adhesion in water. These findings highlight the need to study multiple parameters that are relevant to the gecko adhesive system to further improve our understanding of the biological system and to design better, more versatile synthetics.
Highlights
Geckos have fascinated scientists and the lay person for centuries due to their ability to stick repeatedly to substrates that are otherwise considered challenging or even impossible for current synthetics [1]
We focus on substrate structure and surface water, both of which are highly relevant to the biological system and to synthetic design
The adhesive system of geckos has been extensively studied and has inspired hundreds of synthetic mimics which can adhere in a variety of conditions [37]
Summary
Geckos have fascinated scientists and the lay person for centuries due to their ability to stick repeatedly to substrates that are otherwise considered challenging or even impossible for current synthetics [1]. Challenges such as dirt and dust, surface chemistry and structure, and even water, can often be circumvented by this versatile natural adhesive system [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Studies focusing on testing gecko adhesion on such substrates are increasing, there still remains an important gap This gap is highlighted when we consider geckos in their natural environment. Consider a gecko moving across the surface of a tree
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