TY - JOUR
T1 - From strong to switchable adhesion
T2 - Gecko-inspired design strategies and practical applications
AU - Shen, Changlin
AU - Heng, Weimin
AU - Wu, Chunxiao
AU - Hou, Xinrui
AU - Fan, Yichen
AU - Li, Ya
AU - Han, Yekun
AU - Yang, Qi'ao
AU - Wang, Lei
AU - Peng, Zhilong
AU - Chen, Shaohua
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2026/3/1
Y1 - 2026/3/1
N2 - Adhesion exists widely in nature and engineering. With the rapid development of flexible electronics, soft robotics, and intelligent manufacturing, the exclusive pursuit of strong adhesion has proven inadequate for diverse applications. Therefore, switchable adhesion technologies that allow rapid and reversible transition between strong attachment and easy detachment have emerged as a research frontier. Inspired by geckos, research on bioinspired dry adhesive materials has advanced steadily in recent years, encompassing adhesion mechanics, structural design, switchable adhesion strategies, and practical applications. Particularly in the switchable adhesion strategies, two main approaches have been proposed: one relies on external stimuli—light, thermal, electric, magnetic, or mechanical—to reversibly modulate adhesion strength; the other exploits inclined or asymmetric structural designs to induce switchable adhesion. In this review, the development of gecko-inspired adhesive materials from strong to switchable adhesion is systematically examined, alongside recent applications in wearable electronics, crawling robots, and precision manufacturing. Finally, the future development of switchable adhesive materials, as well as the associated challenges and opportunities in their applications, is discussed.
AB - Adhesion exists widely in nature and engineering. With the rapid development of flexible electronics, soft robotics, and intelligent manufacturing, the exclusive pursuit of strong adhesion has proven inadequate for diverse applications. Therefore, switchable adhesion technologies that allow rapid and reversible transition between strong attachment and easy detachment have emerged as a research frontier. Inspired by geckos, research on bioinspired dry adhesive materials has advanced steadily in recent years, encompassing adhesion mechanics, structural design, switchable adhesion strategies, and practical applications. Particularly in the switchable adhesion strategies, two main approaches have been proposed: one relies on external stimuli—light, thermal, electric, magnetic, or mechanical—to reversibly modulate adhesion strength; the other exploits inclined or asymmetric structural designs to induce switchable adhesion. In this review, the development of gecko-inspired adhesive materials from strong to switchable adhesion is systematically examined, alongside recent applications in wearable electronics, crawling robots, and precision manufacturing. Finally, the future development of switchable adhesive materials, as well as the associated challenges and opportunities in their applications, is discussed.
KW - Adhesion application
KW - Biomimetic design
KW - Dry adhesives
KW - External field regulation
KW - Inclined/asymmetric structures
KW - Switchable adhesion
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105030041247
U2 - 10.1016/j.cej.2026.174049
DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2026.174049
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:105030041247
SN - 1385-8947
VL - 531
JO - Chemical Engineering Journal
JF - Chemical Engineering Journal
M1 - 174049
ER -