Ultrahydrophobicity indicates a non-adhesive default state in gecko setae

Geckos may represent the world's most demanding adhesives application. The adhesive setae on the toes of climbing geckos must adhere strongly yet avoid fouling or attachment at inappropriate times. We tested the hypothesis that gecko setae are non-adhesive in their unloaded default state by comparing the water droplet contact angle (theta) of isolated setal arrays to the smooth surface of eye spectacle scales of tokay geckos (Gekko gecko). At equilibrium, theta was 98.3 +/- 3.4 degrees in spectacle scales of live geckos and 93.3 +/- 3.5 degrees in isolated spectacles. Isolated setal arrays were ultrahydrophobic, with theta of 160.6 +/- 1.3 degrees (means +/- SD). The difference in theta of setal arrays and smooth spectacles indicates a very low contact fraction. Using Cassie's law of surface wettability, we infer that less than 6.6% of the surface of unloaded setae is solid and at least 93.4% is air space. We calculated that the contact fraction must increase from 6.6% in the unloaded state to 46% in the loaded state to account for previously measured values of adhesion. Thus gecko setae may be non-sticky by default because only a very small contact fraction is possible without mechanically deforming the setal array.