Adhesion performance of gecko-inspired flexible carbon nanotubes dry adhesive

Vertical aligned carbon nanotube array was fabricated by catalytic chemical vapor deposition and then transferred onto flexible polymer substrates with an effective polymer intermediate. Adhesion performance of the flexible CNTs dry adhesive was measured with a multifunctional material adhesion/friction performance test platform. A micron-drag process was implemented during the test in order to help increasing the side contact area of CNTs, which in turn results in an enhanced adhesion. The transferred CNTs on flexible PET substrates have an increasing adaptability without damaging its original structure. The normal and shear adhesion performance were both enhanced dramatically due to the pre-drag process. The fabrication and test methods provided here will plays an important role in the realization of CNTs dry adhesive for gecko-mimetic climbing robots.