Fabrication of biomimetic gecko toe pads and their characterization

The mimicking and fabrication of gecko toe pads structures can lead to limitless applications. In this study, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polycaprolactone (PCL) nano‐fibers are fabricated using a porous membrane as template. The surface characteristics and physical properties of the samples yield different geometries, which determine the wetting and adhesive properties of the fabricated samples. Oriented and wave‐like shapes fibers present the Gecko effect, thanks to their ability to comply and hydrophobic asperities that uphold the water droplet when the wetting properties were tested. The samples are also found to be self‐cleaning due to their high contact angles and low contact angle hysteresis. Adhesion tests results prove that the samples are high reversible adhesion with the ability to stick to smooth surface in a dry and underwater environment. The adhesion on the samples can be enhanced with a double fibril layer or buckling property. They adhere better when the surface is not hydrophilic. By behaving in similar way as the real geckos, the results of this study show that the fabricated samples effectively present the Gecko effect. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:283–290, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers