Meeting Abstract
The gecko adhesive system continues to be an intriguing subject, particularly for biomimetics. Like geckos, mimetic adhesives should stick under non-ideal conditions, such as on partially contaminated surfaces. The gecko’s glue-free hierarchical adhesive structure makes intimate contact with substrates, adhering with van der Waals forces. The presence of contaminants decreases adhesion, but geckos have been shown to self clean through stepping. The effectiveness of this self cleaning has been linked to an energy imbalance between the gecko, the contaminant, and the substrate. Due to the hydrophobic nature of the gecko’s adhesive system, the energy balance can shift towards the particle remaining on the substrate, rather than on the gecko. This hydrophobicity stems from native lipids present on the surface of the Gekko gecko’s adhesive structure. Here, we have directly investigated the role of these lipids on the effectiveness of Gekko gecko self cleaning.
