FLICKR, BIZMACFor years, researchers have recreated the microscopic hair-like pillars on gecko feet that, through atomic forces known as van der Waals’ interactions, allow the animals to scurry up walls and across ceilings. Such gecko-inspired adhesives could have a variety of applications, including medical bandages, but materials scientist Seokwoo Jeon at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and colleagues wanted to apply these materials to create a novel wearable electrode.
The team created the microscopic pillar design by pouring a mix of conductive carbon nanotubes, graphene nanopowder, and a silicone known as polydimethylsiloxane into a mold shaped like a series of 15 µm golf tees and letting the elastomer cure for two hours at 120 °C. The resulting 4-inch by 4-inch square patch can be attached and removed from skin 30 times without losing its stickiness, and the patch retained its electricity-conducting ability even when stretched by up to a third of its length, the researchers found. Sticking the patch on the arm of a volunteer and wiring it to an electrocardiogram (ECG) recorder, the researchers could monitor the person’s heartbeat, even when his arm was underwater for more than a minute. When submerged, the ...
