Study on Polarization and Adhesion Property of Gecko Inspired Mushroom-Shaped Pillars

Abstract

Geckos can run swiftly on various surfaces, is not only related to the micro-nanostructure of their setae, but also related to the charged keratin in biological tissues of epidermis. Many gecko-inspired structural materials have been developed in order to obtain desired adhesion property. Much research has been done to improve their adhesion by changing chemical composition and optimizing micro-nanostructure, but little research has been done on the effect of surface charge. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of surface charge on the adhesion of gecko-inspired materials, and to explore a new way to improve their adhesion performance. In this work, the dry adhesive materials made of polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) with mushroom-shaped pillars were polarized under high voltage. The results showed that polarized samples with the mushroom-shaped pillars facing the positive electrode have more negative charge, and the adhesion was improved a lot with increasing charge.