Journal
CURRENT APPLIED PHYSICS
Volume 6, Issue 3, Pages 379-383Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2005.11.023
Keywords
organorods; polymer; nanoindentation; nanorods; adhesion
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This paper describes the realization and characterization of nanofabricated organic looking polymer nanorods, organorods, for use in a biomimetic adhesion system. The adhesion system is inspired by the fine hair adhesive motif found in nature and best exemplified by the gecko. The meso- to nanostructure of the gecko's foot is designed to maximize inelastic surface contact to enhance van der Waals interactions. In this work, cleanroom-based processing techniques have been used for fabrication and characterization of nanostructures for inclusion in a multi-scale system mimicking the natural adhesive. The multi-scale system consists of flexible silicon dioxide platforms, supported by a single silicon pillar, coated with similar to 200 nm in diameter and similar to 4 mu m tall polymeric organorods. The organorod surface is altered between hydrophilic and highly-hydrophobic. The adhesive properties between the artificial surface and a 3.175 mm aluminum sphere are measured in a modified nanoindenter. Initial results indicate improved adhesion with the hydrophobic surface over the hydrophilic, further corroborating van der Waals interactions to be the operative force of adhesion and suggesting a reduced cut-off distance in the van der Waals theory. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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