Science and Tech

Gecko’s legs inspire a sole that adheres even to ice

Gecko's legs inspire a sole that adheres even to ice

Madrid, Jan 30 (Europa Press) –

Researchers report ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces of the use of improved silicone rubber with zirconia nanoparticles to create An non -slip polymer inspired by the GECKOS.

They say that the material, which adheres to ice, could be incorporated into the soles of shoes for Reduce injuries to humans.

Slip and falls cause more than 38 million injuries and 684,000 deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization. And almost half of these incidents occur on ice. The soles of current non -slip shoes are based on materials such as the natural rubber that repel the layer of liquid water that accumulates on the pavement in a rainy day. However, in frozen halls, shoe soles with these materials can make ice melt due to user pressure, creating the slippery surface against which shoes are supposed to protect.

The pads of GECKOS legs have hydrophilic mechanisms that allow small animals to move easily on wet and slippery surfaces.

Previous studies on Gecko’s legs have resulted in new ideas to develop more effective non -slip polymers. The researchers discovered that the adhesion of the pads of their legs comes from an improved adhesion by hydrophilic capillarity: the force of the water that is attracted to narrow grooves in the pages of the legs Create a suction that helps the lizard to navigate on slippery surfaces.

An international team led by Vipin Richhariya, from the University of Minho (Portugal) was proposed to develop A polymer with improved hair adhesion that works on rainy sidewalks and frozen surfaces.

The researchers began with silicone rubber polymer and added zirconia nanoparticles to make the material attract water molecules. After winding the composite material in a thin movie, they hardened it with heat and recorded laser A gangid pattern on the surface of the film that exposed the hydrophilic zirconia nanoparticles. When the film came into contact with water molecules on the ice, it adhered to the slippery surface because the polymer imitated the capillary action of the anti -slip pads of the Gecko’s legs.

They tested five versions of the nanocomposed material stamped with different proportions of zirconia nanoparticles in weight: 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%and 9%.

Using infrared spectroscopy and simulated friction tests, the researchers discovered that the most non -slip nanocomposites They contained between 3% and 5% of zirconia nanoparticles in weight.

In addition to a non -slip shoe sole inspired by nature, the team says that this technology It could be used in medical innovationssuch as electronic skin and artificial skin, where polymers interact with a fluid layer between two different surfaces.

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