Redefining stickiness – A reflection on the gecko inspired adhesives possessing self-cleaning traits

Abstract

Geckos have never failed to amaze the scientific realms with their fascinating innate characteristics. The species are adapted with a captivating pair of toepads that can reversibly attach to almost every surface, thus enabling them not only to climb vertically up but also to run across the ceilings. Moreover, the hierarchical fibrillar structure present in gecko’s feet provides an additional self-cleaning trait, especially under dry environments, which have gained immense importance in the field of soft robotics and smart adhesives. This perspective aims to provide a short reflection of the author on how the ‘self-cleaning’ traits work along with their exhibited mechanistic properties citing references of the recent advancements in the scope of self-cleaning gecko-inspired adhesives.