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Published on: July 22, 2022
Bioinspired Reversible Adhesive with High Strength for Wearable Electronics under Diverse Environments
Yihang Wu1, Huiming Liu1, Hongmiao Tian1
1Micro-and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China.
Research (Washington, D.C.)
|June 8, 2026
Summary
Engineers developed a novel dual bioinspired adhesive for wearable electronics, mimicking geckos and octopuses. This advanced adhesive ensures robust, reversible attachment across diverse environments, enhancing device reliability.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Bioinspired Engineering
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Wearable electronics require reliable attachment for health monitoring and equipment assessment.
- Existing adhesion methods struggle with high-strength, reversible bonding in diverse environmental conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a dual bioinspired adhesive microstructure for robust and reversible attachment of wearable devices.
- To evaluate the adhesive's performance in various complex environments.
Main Methods:
- Designed a dual bioinspired adhesive microstructure (annular stalk, microdome, annular tip).
- Fabricated the microstructure using imprinting and photolithography.
- Tested adhesion strength in vacuum, dry, moist, and underwater conditions.
Main Results:
- Achieved superior reversible normal adhesion in vacuum (120 kPa), dry (201 kPa), moist (173 kPa), and underwater (165 kPa).
- Observed a unique crack reentry phenomenon inhibiting crack propagation and enhancing adhesion.
- Demonstrated successful application in skin-attachable electronics across multiple environments.
Conclusions:
- The bioinspired adhesive offers high-strength, reversible bonding adaptable to complex environments.
- This technology has significant potential for advancing wearable flexible electronics in demanding applications.
- The crack reentry mechanism is key to the adhesive's exceptional performance.
