Switchable double-sided micropatterned adhesives for selective fixation and detachment

Abstract

Micropatterned dry adhesives are promising candidates for the development of innovative adhesive platforms. Their reversible adhesion to various materials and surfaces has been reported over more than a decade. Switching between a strong and a weak adhesive state can be introduced by elastic buckling instabilities of the microstructure. In this work, we report on novel adhesive pads that exhibit micropatterned pillars on both sides. In double-sided PDMS micropatterns, the dimensions of the pillar structures were tuned by modulating the critical force for buckling during compressive loading. In this way, selective detachment of glass substrates was induced from one side of the pad. Our results indicate a significant switching efficiency of up to 83% between the strong and weak adhesive state. The new structures have high potential for emerging applications where temporary, double-sided fixations in combination with a predetermined detachment location are required.