Inspired by the sticky foot pads of geckos, we reported a new approach to cleaning micrometric and sub-micrometric dust particles from solid surfaces using polymeric microfibrillar structures. When a contaminated surface is touched with these soft and flexible microstructures, the microfibrils generate strong adhesion with the dust particles, enough to collect the particles but not so much that the fibrils stick to the contaminated substrate. This simple, fast, and nondestructive dust cleaning technique has potential application for getting dust off delicate and dust-sensitive surfaces and devices, such as integrated circuits, microelectromechanical systems, and even sensitive works of art.

For the first time, Teflon AF nanopillars terminated with a ‘‘fluffy’’ top layer are fabricated by replica-molding with a nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide membrane as the mold. The rigidity and exceptionally low surface energy of Teflon AF along with the presence of the top ‘‘fluffy’’ nanostructure itself effectively hinder the self-sticking of high aspect-ratio, high density nanopillars. This type of hierarchical nanopillar is shown to be an efficient dry adhesive that can generate strong adhesion both in air and under water.

Due to their non-conductive matrix, insulating polymers are becoming naturally charged at the surface upon contact with other materials (or themselves). Considering typical large charge densities that polymers develop in this way, it is expected that gecko-inspired adhesives made from such polymers experience significant electrostatic interactions upon contact, a fact which has not been accounted for in detail so far.

Research Articles & Patents

15. Izadi, H.; Vanderlick, T. K.; Systems and Methods for Particulate Removal Using Polymeric Microstructures, US Patent, 11001785, 2021.

14. Williams, D. M.; Kaufman, G.; Izadi, H.; Gahm, A. E.; Prophet, S. M.; Vanderlick, T. K.; Osuji, C. O.; Regan, L.; Facile Protein Immobilization Using Engineered Surface-Active Biofilm Proteins, ACS Applied Nano Materials., 2018, 1, 2483-2488.

13. Izadi, H.; Zandieh, A.; Penlidis, A.; Bio-inspired Dry Adhesives: Contact Electrification and Electrostatic Interactions, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2017.

12. Dogra, N.; Izadi, H.; Vanderlick, T. K.; Micro-motors: A Motile Bacteria Based System for Liposome Cargo Transport, Scientific Reports, 2016, 6, 29369.

11. Izadi, H.; Dogra, N.; Perreault, F.; Schwarz, C.; Simon, S.; Vanderlick, T. K.; Removal of Particulate Contamination from Solid Surfaces Using Polymeric Micropillars, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2016, 8, 16967-16978. (featured in the media and on the journal cover)

10. Izadi, H.; Stewart, K. M. E.; Penlidis, A.; Role of Contact Electrification and Electrostatic Interactions in Gecko Adhesion, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2014, 11, 20140371. (featured in the media)

9. Izadi, H.; Penlidis, A.; Polymeric Bio-inspired Dry Adhesives: Van der Waals or Electrostatic Interactions? Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, 2013, 7, 588-608. (featured on the journal cover)

8. Izadi, H.; Sarikhani, K.; Penlidis, A.; Instabilities of Teflon AF Thin Films in Alumina Nanochannels and Adhesion of Bi-level Teflon AF Nanopillars, Nanotechnology, 2013, 503306.

7. Izadi, H.; Golmakani, M.; Penlidis, A.; Enhanced Adhesion and Friction by Electrostatic Interactions of Double-Level Teflon Nanopillars, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 1985-1996.

6. Izadi, H.; Zhao, B.; Han, Y.; McManus, N.; Penlidis, A.; Teflon Hierarchical Nanopillars with Dry-Wet Adhesive Properties, Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 2012, 50, 846-851. (featured on the journal cover)

5. Ramazani, A. S. A.; Saremi, M. G.; Meschi, B. A.; Izadi, H.; Production and Characterization of UHMWPE/Fumed Silica Nanocomposites, Polymer Composites, 2012, 33, 1858-1864.

4. Meschi Amoli, B.; Ramazani, A. S. A.; Izadi, H.; Preparation of Ultrahigh-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites with a Ziegler-Natta Catalytic System and Investigation of Their Thermal and Mechanical Properties, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2012, 125, E453-E461.

3. Shojaee, K.; Edrissi, M.; Izadi, H.; Synthesis of Flower‐like Cobalt Nanostructures: Optimization by Taguchi Design, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2010, 4, 1439-1447.

2. Izadi, H.; Edrisi, M.; A Process to Attach the Initiator of an Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) to a Carbon Nanotube (CNT), Iranian Patent, 55996, 2008.

1. Biria, D.; Roostaazad, R.; Darouneh, E.; Izadi, H.; Analysis of MEOR (Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery) Efficiency to Increase Recovery in an Iranian Reservoir, International Journal of Science & Technology Scientia Iranica, 2007, 14, 161-168.

Essays

2. Izadi, H.; Penlidis, A.; Recent Advances in Synthesis and Characterization of Adhesives, Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, 2013, 7, 482-483.

1. Izadi, H.; Penlidis, A.; Science and Technology of Bio‐inspired Adhesives, Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, 2013, 7, 570-572.

Yale - Waterloo - Tehran Polytechnique - Sharif