The National Science Foundation awarded UD $1 million dedicated to the research of gecko feet and the secret they hold to creating stronger adhesives.

For decades, scientists have studied the hairlike structures found on geckos' toes, which allow them to stick to nearly any surface with ease. However, as recent as 2002, researchers have gone one step further, manipulating carbon nanotubes to find even stronger adhesive properties.

Carbon nanotubes, hollow tubes made of carbon atoms, are similar to the structure found on geckos' feet, but they work on a nanometer scale rather than a centimeter scale. They reveal extraordinary strength and excellent electronic properties.

The four-year grant was awarded to UD as the lead institution for the Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team. The research team is led by Dr. Liming Dai, UD's Wright Brothers Institute endowed chair in nanomaterials. It includes researchers from the University of Akron, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

These researchers hope to discover the sticky properties of nanotubes and modify them depending on the surface to which they are applied.

'Nanotubes are a dry adhesive,' Dai said. 'When you put the nanotube on the surface there is nothing else, so you can just stick it on and then take it off.'

With their nonsticky default state, nanotubes can be directly applied to any surface, allowing machines freedom of movement.

Nanotube adhesives have the potential to replace screws, glue and interlocking tabs in manufactured goods. They would be equally as effective sealing a package or bonding a robot capable of exploring other planets.