Wet and Dry Adhesion Properties of Self-Selective Nanowire Connectors

Here, the wet and dry adhesion properties of hybrid Ge/parylene nanowire (NW) connectors are examined. The ability of the NW connectors to bind strongly even under lubricating conditions, such as mineral oil, sheds light on the dominant role of van der Waals interactions in the observed adhesion. The superhydrophobic surface of the NW connectors enables the wet, self-cleaning of contaminant particles from the surface, similar to the lotus effect. In addition, the effect of NW length on the shear adhesion strength, repeated usability, and robustness of the connectors, all critical properties for applications that require reversible binding of components, is examined.