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Communicated by Jacob N. Israelachvili, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, April 17, 2007 (received for review December 7, 2006)
Abstract
We have developed a synthetic gecko tape by transferring micropatterned carbon nanotube arrays onto flexible polymer tape based on the hierarchical structure found on the foot of a gecko lizard. The gecko tape can support a shear stress (36 N/cm2) nearly four times higher than the gecko foot and sticks to a variety of surfaces, including Teflon. Both the micrometer-size setae (replicated by nanotube bundles) and nanometer-size spatulas (individual nanotubes) are necessary to achieve macroscopic shear adhesion and to translate the weak van der Waals interactions into high shear forces. We have demonstrated for the first time a macroscopic flexible patch that can be used repeatedly with peeling and adhesive properties better than the natural gecko foot. The carbon nanotube-based tape offers an excellent synthetic option as a dry conductive reversible adhesive in microelectronics, robotics, and space applications.
Footnotes
- ‡To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ali4{at}uakron.edu
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Author contributions: L.G. and S.S. contributed equally to this work; P.M.A. and A.D. designed research; L.G., S.S., and L.C. performed research; L.C. and P.M.A. synthesized the carbon nanotubes; and A.D. wrote the paper.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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↵ § These measurements were done by supporting weight perpendicular to the substrate. It was important to do this measurement by keeping the tape and the substrate parallel so that the normal force is applied uniformly across the tape. This was not always possible, and the tape peeled off from the substrate instead. Therefore, the measured numbers may be lower than what can be actually supported by these gecko tapes. Similar low numbers are obtained for viscoelastic adhesive tapes on normal loading.
- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
Carbon nanotube-based synthetic gecko tapes
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