Reversible adhesion inspired by the gecko has attracted attention in applications such as biomedical masks, climbing robots, transfer printing, and pressure-sensitive adhesives. The approaches used to accomplish reversible adhesion are typically classed into two categories: patterned and non-patterned. The first category uses a micro-patterned surface that mimics well-known biostructures, while the latter category does not.
The adhesion force between the surfaces is generated from contributions by Van der Waals, capillary, mechanical interlocking, covalent bonding, and hydrogen bonding. Greater compliance/conformability can be achieved by the patterned surfaces, allowing these adhesives to exhibit better adhesion than their non-patterned counterparts. This approach has been extensively studied in academia but has not found widespread use in industry.