壁虎粘附微观力学机制的仿生研究进展

本文针对壁虎粘附系统最小单元的真实形状, 类似于有限尺寸纳米薄膜的铲状纤维, 综述了对其微观粘附力学机制主要影响因素的多个研究, 主要考虑了有限尺寸纳米薄膜长度、厚度、撕脱角等对撕脱力的影响; 物体表面粗糙度以及环境湿度等对粘附的影响因素; 包括实验、理论及数值模拟的研究及结果比较. 最后给出仿生粘附力学方向仍然存在的主要科学问题及进一步的研究展望.

PROGRESS IN THE BIONIC STUDY ON GECKO’S MICRO-ADHESION MECHANISM

A class of animals possesses special climbing abilities in nature, which attracts enormous academic interests. To investigate the macro- and micro-mechanisms of such animals’ adhesion can not only develop relevant surface/interface mechanics, but also provide novel ideas for the design of advanced adhesive materials and appropriate adhesive system for a micro-climbing robot, and shed lights on solving methods for adhesive failure problems in MEMS/NEMS and AFM. Experiments have found that the adhesive system on gecko’s foot is hierarchical, which will produce strong adhesion. There are millions of setae on a gecko’s foot and each seta will branch into hundreds of spatulae. The spatula is the smallest adhesive structure in a gecko’s foot, which is about 200nm in width and length, about 5nm in thickness. The adhesive behavior of a spatula on a surface looks like that of a flnite-sized nano-fllm. The basic principle of the adhesion is due to Van Der Waals force between two surfaces. Plenty of spatulae will cause the adhesion force large enough to support the weight of a gecko. In the present paper, considering the real shape of the smallest adhesive structure, which is similar to a nano-fllm with a flnite length, we present an overview of the main influence factors of the micro-adhesion mechanism of gecko’s spatula, including the eflects of adhesion length, thickness and peeling angles of a flnite nano-fllm on the adhesion force, the eflects of surface roughness and environmental humidity on surface/interface adhesion. Experimental investigations as well as theoretical and numerical studies are also reviewed. Finally, possible challenges and future development of the biomimetic adhesive mechanics are proposed and prospected.