Arrays of angled microfibers with a gecko-inspired structure were fabricated from a stiff thermoplastic polymer (polypropylene) with elastic properties similar to those of -keratin of natural setae. Friction experiments demonstrated that this fibrillar polymer surface exhibits directional adhesion. Sliding of clean glass surfaces against and along the microfiber direction without applying an external normal force produced an apparent shear stress of 0.1 and , respectively. This directional adhesion is interpreted in the context of a nonlinear elastic bending model of an angled beam. Shearing and normal contact experiments yielded further evidence of the anisotropic adhesion of the fibrillar polymer and revealed the occurrence of a pull-off (adhesive) force at the instant of surface detachment, unlike vertically aligned microfiber arrays of the same material that exhibited a zero pull-off force. The results of this study provide impetus for the design of gecko-inspired adhesives with angled structures that demonstrate directional adhesion against different material surfaces.
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10 November 2008
Research Article|
November 13 2008
Directional adhesion of gecko-inspired angled microfiber arrays Available to Purchase
Jongho Lee;
Jongho Lee
1Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Ronald S. Fearing;
Ronald S. Fearing
2Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences,
University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Kyriakos Komvopoulos
Kyriakos Komvopoulos
a)
1Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Jongho Lee
1
Ronald S. Fearing
2
Kyriakos Komvopoulos
1,a)
1Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
2Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences,
University of California
, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: [email protected].
Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 191910 (2008)
Article history
Received:
August 03 2008
Accepted:
October 02 2008
Citation
Jongho Lee, Ronald S. Fearing, Kyriakos Komvopoulos; Directional adhesion of gecko-inspired angled microfiber arrays. Appl. Phys. Lett. 10 November 2008; 93 (19): 191910. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3006334
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