Gecko-inspired fibril nanostructures for reversible adhesion in biomedical applications

Biomedical applications such as removable prosthetics require a robust reversible adhesion. This requirement is addressed in this study with the fabrication of polyethylene nanofiber surfaces that exhibit the "gecko effect," the reversible adhesion phenomenon found in nature. The fabricated single-level and hierarchical-structured surfaces were highly hydrophobic and have superior nanoscale adhesion relative to a flat surface, indicating gecko effect behavior. Individual fibers exhibited buckling upon deformation with an atomic force microscope tip. This study shows that by selecting a material with a low melting temperature such as polyethylene, the number of fibers per unit area, and hence, the desired reversible adhesion behavior, can both be optimized. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.