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Funnel-shaped microstructures for strong reversible adhesion
2017, Fischer, Sarah C.L., Groß, Katja, Abad, Oscar Torrents, Becker, MIchael M., Park, Euiyoung, Hensel, René, Arzt, Eduard
The potential of a new design of adhesive microstructures in the micrometer range for enhanced dry adhesion is investigated. Using a two-photon lithography system, complex 3D master structures of funnel-shaped microstructures are fabricated for replication into poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate polymer. The diameter, the flap thickness, and the opening angle of the structures are varied systematically. The adhesion of single structures is characterized using a triboindenter system equipped with a flat diamond punch. The pull-off stresses obtained reaches values up to 5.6 MPa, which is higher than any values reported in literature for artificial dry adhesives. Experimental and numerical results suggest a characteristic attachment mechanism that leads to intimate contact formation from the edges toward the center of the structures. van der Waals interactions most likely dominate the adhesion, while contributions by suction or capillarity play only a minor role. Funnel-shaped microstructures are a promising concept for strong and reversible adhesives, applicable in novel pick and place handling systems or wall-walking robots.
Fibrillar elastomeric micropatterns create tunable adhesion even to rough surfaces
2016, Barreau, Viktoriia, Hensel, René, Guimard, Nathalie K., Ghatak, Animangsu, McMeeking, Robert M., Arzt, Eduard
Biologically inspired, fibrillar dry adhesives continue to attract much attention as they are instrumental for emerging applications and technologies. To date, the adhesion of micropatterned gecko-inspired surfaces has predominantly been tested on stiff, smooth substrates. However, all natural and almost all artificial surfaces have roughnesses on one or more different length scales. In the present approach, micropillar-patterned PDMS surfaces with superior adhesion to glass substrates with different roughnesses are designed and analyzed. The results reveal for the first time adhesive and nonadhesive states depending on the micropillar geometry relative to the surface roughness profile. The data obtained further demonstrate that, in the adhesive regime, fibrillar gecko-inspired adhesive structures can be used with advantage on rough surfaces; this finding may open up new applications in the fields of robotics, biomedicine, and space exploration.
Adhesion characteristics of PDMS surfaces during repeated pull-off force measurements
2010, Kroner, Elmar, Arzt, Eduard, Maboudian, Roya
To mimic the adhesive effects of gecko toes, artificial surfaces have been manufactured recently using polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS). However, the effects of repeated contacts on the adhesive properties remain largely unexplored. In this paper we report on the effect of repeated pull-off force measurements on the adhesion behavior of PDMS (polymer kit Sylgard 184, Dow Corning) tested with a borosilicate glass probe. A decrease in pull-off force with increase in number of test cycles is found until a plateau is reached. The initial value and the rate of change in pull-off force strongly depend on the sample preparation procedure, including curing time and cross-linking. It is proposed that the behavior is due to steady coverage of the probe with free oligomers. The results are crucial for developing reusable, durable, and residue-free bioinspired adhesives.