Gecko‐Foot‐Mimetic Aligned Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Dry Adhesives with Unique Electrical and Thermal Properties

Vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (VA-SWNT) arrays synthesized by a combined plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and fast heating method show a maximum achievable macroscopic adhesive force of 29 N cm–2, which is the highest among all synthetic and natural gecko feet (10 N cm–2). This, together with the unique thermal and electric properties of SWNTs, represents a significant advance in developing new dry adhesives of electrical/thermal management capabilities for diverse potential applications, ranging from smart packaging to advanced electronic integration. Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW under http://www.wiley-vch.de/contents/jc_2089/2007/c0023_s.html or from the author. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.