Inspired by the adhesive behaviour of gecko feet, researchers from the Sameoto group (Mechanical Engineering, U of A) have developed a reversible dry-adhesive technology with a bonding strength an order of magnitude higher than typical reversible bonding. Since this technique is geometry based and not material specific, it can be used to improve the bonding strength of many elastomers commonly used in microfluidics (e.g., PDMS, SEBS, etc.). This work was enabled by resources available at the nanoFAB.
Researchers in microfluidics interested in using “geckofluidics” technology in their devices are encouraged to contact the Sameoto group for more information.
Lab on a Chip (2015), DOI: 10.1039/C5LC00342C
