Dry glue: Difference between revisions

Researchers announced in a paper published in the June 18–22, 2007 issue of the ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'' that using this technique they have created a synthetic “gecko tape” with four times the sticking power of a natural gecko foot.<ref>[http://www.physorg.com/news101460241.html Nanotube adhesive sticks better than a gecko's foot], ''PhysOrg.com'' retrieved 7 July 2007</ref> Particularly effective has been a checkerboard carpet of this material, which can be peeled and re-adhered repeatedly without weakening.<ref>http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112442&org=NSF</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Will Knight |title=Gecko-like robot scampers up the wall |url=http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993785 |date=2003-06-01 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071213181425rn_1/www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3785 |archivedate=2007-12-13 |work=[[New Scientist]] |accessdate=2009-05-02 |postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}} }} Cites {{cite journal|doi=10.1038/nmat917|title=Microfabricated adhesive mimicking gecko foot-hair|year=2003|last1=Geim|first1=A. K.|last2=Dubonos|first2=S. V.|last3=Grigorieva|first3=I. V.|last4=Novoselov|first4=K. S.|last5=Zhukov|first5=A. A.|last6=Shapoval|first6=S. Yu.|journal=Nature Materials|volume=2|issue=7|pages=461–463|pmid=12776092|bibcode=2003NatMa...2..461G}}</ref><ref>http://www.uakron.edu/news/articles/uamain_1293.php</ref> The material is made of columns of [[carbon nanotubes]] rooted in pieces of flexible polymer. The nanotubes were grown on a silicon base and then transferred to the polymer to provide a flexible base, similar to a gecko's foot. When dried, the polymer holds the silicon base, which in turn, holds the nanotubes.{{cn|date=February 2012}}

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is also currently working on this technology to enable a soldier to scale a wall at .5 m/s{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}. This project is named Z-Man. Experiments are currently under way to develop nano-adhesives using the van der Waals effect.{{cn|date=February 2012}}