| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 601118 | Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces | 2011 | 5 Pages |
Inspired by geckos’ adhesion, the effect of water membrane forming due to the environmental humidity, on the adhesion between a bio-inspired nano-film and a substrate is investigated first. The disjoining pressure is considered, which results in an enhancing adhesion between the nano-film and substrate. When the thickness of water membrane increases, water droplets will form and a repulsive capillary force between the nano-film and substrate is produced. The total adhesion force decreases with an increasing volume of water droplets. The two opposite results in the two different models are consistent well with two seemingly inconsistent experimental observations by Huber et al. (2005) [4] and Sun et al. (2005) [5], respectively, and may be significant for the development of artificial biomimetic attachment systems.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Relative humidity and water droplet affect the adhesion of a nano-film. ► Increasing relative humidity will increase adhesion below a certain relative humidity. ► Increasing the volume of water produces repulsive capillary force. ► Total adhesion force decreases with an increasing volume of water droplets.
