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Li B, Zhu X, Xu C, Yu J, Fan Y. A tough, reversible and highly sensitive humidity actuator based on cellulose nanofiber films by intercalation modulated plasticization. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 335:122108. [PMID: 38616082 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Cellulose nanofiber was an ideal candidate for humidity actuators based on its wide availability, biocompatibility and excellent hydrophilicity. However, conventional cellulose nanofiber-based actuators faced challenges like poor water resistance, flexibility, and sensitivity. Herein, water-resistant, flexible, and highly sensitive cross-linked cellulose nanofibers (CCNF) single-layer humidity actuators with remarkable reversible humidity responsiveness were prepared by combining the green click chemistry modification and intercalation modulated plasticization (IMP). The incorporation of phenyl ring and the crosslinked network structure in CCNF films contributed to its improved water resistance and mechanical properties (with a stress increased from 85.9 ± 3.1 MPa to 141.2 ± 21.5 MPa). SEM analysis confirmed enhanced interlaminar sliding properties facilitated by IMP. This resulted in increased flexibility and toughness of CCNF films, with a strain of 11.5 % and toughness of 9.9 MJ/m3. These improvements efficiently enhanced humidity sensitivity for cellulose nanofiber, with a 4.8-fold increase in bending curvature and a response time of only 3.4 ± 0.1 s. Finally, the good humidity sensitivity of modified CNF can be easily imparted to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via simple self-assembly method, thus leading to a high-performance humidity-responsive actuator. The click chemistry modification and IMP offer a new avenue to fabricate tough, reversible and highly sensitive humidity actuator based on cellulose nanofiber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Li
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
| | - Xinyi Zhu
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
| | - Chaoqun Xu
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
| | - Juan Yu
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
| | - Yimin Fan
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
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Ayyanar C, Rakshit S, Sarkar K, Pramanik S. Unprecedented Approach of Fabrication and Analysis of a Bioactive PDMS/Hydroxyapatite/Graphene Nanocomposite Scaffold with a Vascular Channel to Combat Carcinogenesis. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:3388-3402. [PMID: 38660938 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In the present investigation, natural bone-derived hydroxyapatite (HA, 2 wt %) and/or exfoliated graphene (Gr, 0.1 wt %)-embedded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric films were prepared using a vascular method. The morphology, mechanical properties, crystallinity, and chemical structure of the composite films were evaluated. The in vitro biodegradation kinetics of the films indicates their adequate physiological stability. Most of the results favored PDMS/HA/Gr as a best composite scaffold having more than 703% elongation. A simulation study of the microfluidic vascular channel of the PDMS/HA/Gr scaffold suggests that the pressure drop at the outlet became greater (from 1.19 to 0.067 Pa) unlike velocity output (from 0.071 to 0.089 m/s), suggesting a turbulence-free laminar flow. Our bioactive scaffold material, PDMS/HA/Gr, showed highest cytotoxicity toward the lung cancer and breast cancer cells through Runx3 protein-mediated cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) generation. Our data and predicted mechanism also suggested that the PDMS/HA/Gr-supported peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) not only increased the generation of CTL but also upregulated the expression of RUNX3. Since the PDMS/HA/Gr scaffold-supported Runx3 induced CTL generation caused maximum cell cytotoxicity of breast cancer (MCF-7) and lung cancer (A549) cells, PDMS/HA/Gr can be treated as an excellent potential candidate for CTL-mediated cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chellaiah Ayyanar
- Functional and Biomaterials Engineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sudeshna Rakshit
- Cancer Immunology and Gene Editing Technology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Koustav Sarkar
- Cancer Immunology and Gene Editing Technology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sumit Pramanik
- Functional and Biomaterials Engineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
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Jia B, Liu C, Zhang Y, Tan Y, Tian X, Cui Y, Deng Y. Light-Responsive Soft Robot Integrating Actuation and Function Based on Laser Cutting. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:534. [PMID: 38675345 PMCID: PMC11051773 DOI: 10.3390/mi15040534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Soft robots with good deformability and adaptability have important prospects in the bionics and intelligence field. However, current research into soft robots is primarily limited to the study of actuators and ignores the integrated use of functional devices and actuators. To enrich the functions of soft robots and expand their application fields, it is necessary to integrate various functional electronic devices into soft robots to perform diverse functions during dynamic deformation. Therefore, this paper discusses methods and strategies to manufacture optical stimuli-responsive soft actuators and integrate them into functional devices for soft robots. Specifically, laser cutting allows us to fabricate an optically responsive actuator structure, e.g., the curling direction can be controlled by adjusting the direction of the cutting line. Actuators with different bending curvatures, including nonbending, can be obtained by adjusting the cutting depth, cutting width, and the spacing of the cutting line, which makes it easy to obtain a folded structure. Thus, various actuators with complex shape patterns can be obtained. In addition, we demonstrate a fabrication scheme for a worm-like soft robot integrated with functional devices (LEDs are used in this paper). The local nonbending design provides an asymmetric structure that provides driving power and avoids damage to the functional circuit caused by the large deformation during movement. The integration of drive and function provides a new path for the application of soft robots in the intelligence and bionics field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Jia
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China; (B.J.); (Y.T.)
- Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Innovation Institute of Beihang University, Hangzhou 310051, China; (Y.Z.); (X.T.); (Y.C.)
| | - Changbo Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China; (B.J.); (Y.T.)
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Innovation Institute of Beihang University, Hangzhou 310051, China; (Y.Z.); (X.T.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yujin Tan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China; (B.J.); (Y.T.)
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xuecheng Tian
- Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Innovation Institute of Beihang University, Hangzhou 310051, China; (Y.Z.); (X.T.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yuanyuan Cui
- Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Innovation Institute of Beihang University, Hangzhou 310051, China; (Y.Z.); (X.T.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yuan Deng
- Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Innovation Institute of Beihang University, Hangzhou 310051, China; (Y.Z.); (X.T.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
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Katagiri T, Kodama S, Kawahara K, Umemoto K, Miyoshi T, Nakayama T. Response Characteristics of Pressure-Sensitive Conductive Elastomer Sensors Using OFC Electrode with Triangular Wave Concavo-Convex Surfaces. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2349. [PMID: 38610558 PMCID: PMC11014234 DOI: 10.3390/s24072349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The sensor response of pressure-sensitive conductive elastomers using polymeric materials can be adjusted by altering the type and quantity of fillers used during manufacturing. Another method involves modifying the surface shape of the elastomer. This study investigates the sensor response by altering the surface shape of an electrode using a readily available pressure-sensitive conductive elastomer. By employing an oxygen-free copper electrode with a flat surface (with surface roughness parameters Ra = 0.064 μm and Rz = 0.564 μm) as a baseline, we examined the sensor system's characteristics. Electrodes were fabricated with triangular wave concavo-convex surfaces, featuring tip angles of 60, 90, and 120°. Improved sensor responses were observed with electrodes having tip angles of 60 and 90°. Additionally, even with varying conductive properties of elastomers, the conductance of the elastomer sensor increased similarly when using an electrode with a 90° tip angle. This study demonstrates the potential for expanding the applications of conductive elastomer sensors, highlighting the noteworthy improvement in sensor response and performance achieved by altering the surface shape of electrodes used with commercially available conductive elastomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeru Katagiri
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188, Japan
| | - Sogo Kodama
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188, Japan (K.U.)
| | - Kotaro Kawahara
- INABA RUBBER Co., Ltd., 3-3-15 Kyomachibori, Nishi, Osaka 550-0003, Japan
| | - Kazuki Umemoto
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188, Japan (K.U.)
| | - Takanori Miyoshi
- Department of System Safety, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188, Japan
| | - Tadachika Nakayama
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188, Japan
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Vanskeviče I, Kinka M, Banys J, Macutkevič J, Schaefer S, Selskis A, Fierro V, Celzard A. Dielectric and Ultrasonic Properties of PDMS/TiO 2 Nanocomposites. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:603. [PMID: 38475287 DOI: 10.3390/polym16050603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This work presents the dielectric and ultrasonic properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites filled with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The dielectric study was performed over a very broad range of frequencies (20 Hz-3 THz). The dielectric permittivity was almost frequency-independent in all the composites at room temperature over the whole range of measurement frequencies, and the dielectric losses were very low under these conditions (less than 2). The dielectric permittivity strongly increases with the nanoparticle concentration according to the Maxwell-Garnet model. Therefore, the investigated composites are suitable for various flexible electronic applications, particularly in the microwave and terahertz frequency ranges. Dielectric dispersion and increased attenuation of ultrasonic waves were observed at lower temperatures (below 280 K) due to the relaxation of polymer molecules at the PDMS/TiO2 interface and in the polymer matrix. The relaxation time followed the Vogel-Vulcher law, while the freezing temperature increased with the titanium dioxide concentration due to interactions between the polymer molecules and nanoparticles. The significant hysteresis in the ultrasonic properties indicated that titanium dioxide acts as a crystallization center. This is confirmed by the correlation between the hysteresis in the ultrasonic properties and the structure of the composites. The small difference in the activation energy values obtained from the ultrasonic and dielectric investigations is related to the fact that the dielectric dispersion is slightly broader than the Debye-type dielectric dispersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ieva Vanskeviče
- Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 9/3, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Martynas Kinka
- Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 9/3, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Jūras Banys
- Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 9/3, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Jan Macutkevič
- Center for Physical Science and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Sebastien Schaefer
- Institut Jean Lamour-IJL, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 88000 Épinal, France
| | - Algirdas Selskis
- Center for Physical Science and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vanessa Fierro
- Institut Jean Lamour-IJL, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 88000 Épinal, France
| | - Alain Celzard
- Institut Jean Lamour-IJL, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 88000 Épinal, France
- Institut Universitaire de France-IUF, 75231 Paris, France
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Wang Z, Chen Y, Ma Y, Wang J. Bioinspired Stimuli-Responsive Materials for Soft Actuators. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:128. [PMID: 38534813 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9030128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological species can walk, swim, fly, jump, and climb with fast response speeds and motion complexity. These remarkable functions are accomplished by means of soft actuation organisms, which are commonly composed of muscle tissue systems. To achieve the creation of their biomimetic artificial counterparts, various biomimetic stimuli-responsive materials have been synthesized and developed in recent decades. They can respond to various external stimuli in the form of structural or morphological transformations by actively or passively converting input energy into mechanical energy. They are the core element of soft actuators for typical smart devices like soft robots, artificial muscles, intelligent sensors and nanogenerators. Significant progress has been made in the development of bioinspired stimuli-responsive materials. However, these materials have not been comprehensively summarized with specific actuation mechanisms in the literature. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in biomimetic stimuli-responsive materials that are instrumental for soft actuators. Firstly, different stimuli-responsive principles for soft actuators are discussed, including fluidic, electrical, thermal, magnetic, light, and chemical stimuli. We further summarize the state-of-the-art stimuli-responsive materials for soft actuators and explore the advantages and disadvantages of using electroactive polymers, magnetic soft composites, photo-thermal responsive polymers, shape memory alloys and other responsive soft materials. Finally, we provide a critical outlook on the field of stimuli-responsive soft actuators and emphasize the challenges in the process of their implementation to various industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongbao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yuan Ma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Kumar V, Siraj SA, Satapathy DK. Multivapor-Responsive Controlled Actuation of Starch-Based Soft Actuators. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:3966-3977. [PMID: 38224457 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Multivapor-responsive biocompatible soft actuators have immense potential for applications in soft robotics and medical technology. We report fast, fully reversible, and multivapor-responsive controlled actuation of a pure cassava-starch-based film. Notably, this starch-based actuator sustains its actuated state for over 60 min with a continuous supply of water vapor. The durability of the film and repeatability of the actuation performance have been established upon subjecting the film to more than 1400 actuation cycles in the presence of water vapor. The starch-based actuators exhibit intriguing antagonistic actuation characteristics when exposed to different solvent vapors. In particular, they bend upward in response to water vapor and downward when exposed to ethanol vapor. This fascinating behavior opens up new possibilities for controlling the magnitude and direction of actuation by manipulating the ratio of water to ethanol in the binary solution. Additionally, the control of the bending axis of the starch-based actuator, when exposed to water vapor, is achieved by imprinting-orientated patterns on the surface of the starch film. The effect of microstructure, postsynthesis annealing, and pH of the starch solution on the actuation performance of the starch film is studied in detail. Our starch-based actuator can lift 10 times its own weight upon exposure to ethanol vapor. It can generate force ∼4.2 mN upon exposure to water vapor. To illustrate the vast potential of our cassava-starch-based actuators, we have showcased various proof-of-concept applications, ranging from biomimicry to crawling robots, locomotion near perspiring human skin, bidirectional electric switches, ventilation in the presence of toxic vapors, and smart lifting systems. These applications significantly broaden the practical uses of these starch-based actuators in the field of soft robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipin Kumar
- Soft Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
- Center for Soft and Biological Matter, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sarah Ahmad Siraj
- Soft Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
- Center for Soft and Biological Matter, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Dillip K Satapathy
- Soft Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
- Center for Soft and Biological Matter, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
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8
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Mills AS, Chou E, Baierl Z, Daltorio KA, Wnek GE. Elastic/viscoelastic polymer bilayers: a model-based approach to stretch-responsive constructs. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:407-420. [PMID: 38108205 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01004j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The use of polymers in the fabrication of bilayers for stimuli-responsive systems is well-known, yet viscoelasticity and viscoelastic models representing bilayer behavior have received surprisingly little attention. Of particular recent interest to us are simple polymeric bilayers in which one material, such as styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS) or styrene-isobutylene-styrene (SIBS), shows typical rubbery elastic response upon extension and retraction, and the other, an unvulcanized, low-Tg polymer such as butyl rubber (butyl), exhibits a viscoelastic response. When such a bilayer strip is extended to a fixed strain and held for several seconds followed by sudden release of this strain, rapid curling is observed, achieving a maximum curvature within 1 second, with a gradual uncurling, typically taking 300-600 seconds to eventually return to a flat strip. Attention has been directed to modeling the observed bilayer behavior. We compare predicted curvature and relaxation time constants from finite element analysis (FEA) simulations using Maxwell, Zener, Generalized Maxwell, and Parallel Rheological Framework (PRF) viscoelastic models to the experimentally measured values. We find that the Generalized Maxwell model predicts curvature over time with the lowest overall mean absolute scaled error (MASE) of 0.519, corresponding to a 4.9% difference from the second lowest error model and a 76.8% difference from the highest error model. Building upon an understanding of the material mechanics in simple bilayer strips, more complex bilayer systems can be designed. Samples of cross and weave geometries were fabricated from bilayer films and initial testing demonstrates how these materials can be used in potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin S Mills
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | - Evan Chou
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | - Zachary Baierl
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | - Kathryn A Daltorio
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | - Gary E Wnek
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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Paul S, Rao L, Stein LH, Salemi A, Mitra S. Development of a Carbon Nanotube-Enhanced FAS Bilayer Amphiphobic Coating for Biological Fluids. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:3138. [PMID: 38133035 PMCID: PMC10745810 DOI: 10.3390/nano13243138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
This study reports the development of a novel amphiphobic coating. The coating is a bilayer arrangement, where carbon nanotubes (CNTs) form the underlayer and fluorinated alkyl-silane (FAS) forms the overlayer, resulting in the development of highly amphiphobic coatings suitable for a wide range of substrates. The effectiveness of these coatings is demonstrated through enhanced contact angles for water and artificial blood plasma fluid on glass, stainless steel, and porous PTFE. The coatings were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle (CA) measurements. The water contact angles achieved with the bilayer coating were 106 ± 2°, 116 ± 2°, and 141 ± 2° for glass, stainless steel, and PTFE, respectively, confirming the hydrophobic nature of the coating. Additionally, the coating displayed high repellency for blood plasma, exhibiting contact angles of 102 ± 2°, 112 ± 2°, and 134 ± 2° on coated glass, stainless steel, and PTFE surfaces, respectively. The presence of the CNT underlayer improved plasma contact angles by 29%, 21.7%, and 16.5% for the respective surfaces. The presence of the CNT layer improved surface roughness significantly, and the average roughness of the bilayer coating on glass, stainless steel, and PTFE was measured to be 488 nm, 301 nm, and 274 nm, respectively. Mechanistically, the CNT underlayer contributed to the surface roughness, while the FAS layer provided high amphiphobicity. The maximum effect was observed on modified glass, followed by stainless steel and PTFE surfaces. These findings highlight the promising potential of this coating method across diverse applications, particularly in the biomedical industry, where it can help mitigate complications associated with device-fluid interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumona Paul
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 161 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (S.P.); (L.R.)
| | - Lingfen Rao
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 161 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (S.P.); (L.R.)
| | - Louis H. Stein
- Northern Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, RWJBarnabas Health, 94 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, NJ 07039, USA; (L.H.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Arash Salemi
- Northern Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, RWJBarnabas Health, 94 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, NJ 07039, USA; (L.H.S.); (A.S.)
- Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 185 S Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Somenath Mitra
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 161 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (S.P.); (L.R.)
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10
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Li S, Zhang J, He J, Liu W, Wang Y, Huang Z, Pang H, Chen Y. Functional PDMS Elastomers: Bulk Composites, Surface Engineering, and Precision Fabrication. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2304506. [PMID: 37814364 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-the simplest and most common silicone compound-exemplifies the central characteristics of its class and has attracted tremendous research attention. The development of PDMS-based materials is a vivid reflection of the modern industry. In recent years, PDMS has stood out as the material of choice for various emerging technologies. The rapid improvement in bulk modification strategies and multifunctional surfaces has enabled a whole new generation of PDMS-based materials and devices, facilitating, and even transforming enormous applications, including flexible electronics, superwetting surfaces, soft actuators, wearable and implantable sensors, biomedicals, and autonomous robotics. This paper reviews the latest advances in the field of PDMS-based functional materials, with a focus on the added functionality and their use as programmable materials for smart devices. Recent breakthroughs regarding instant crosslinking and additive manufacturing are featured, and exciting opportunities for future research are highlighted. This review provides a quick entrance to this rapidly evolving field and will help guide the rational design of next-generation soft materials and devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaopeng Li
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Jian He
- Yizhi Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, No. 99 Danba Road, Putuo District, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Weiping Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
- Center for Composites, COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - YuHuang Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Maryland NanoCenter, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Zhongjie Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Huan Pang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Yiwang Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Synthesis/Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
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11
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Zhu L, Tian L, Jiang S, Han L, Liang Y, Li Q, Chen S. Advances in photothermal regulation strategies: from efficient solar heating to daytime passive cooling. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:7389-7460. [PMID: 37743823 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00500c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Photothermal regulation concerning solar harvesting and repelling has recently attracted significant interest due to the fast-growing research focus in the areas of solar heating for evaporation, photocatalysis, motion, and electricity generation, as well as passive cooling for cooling textiles and smart buildings. The parallel development of photothermal regulation strategies through both material and system designs has further improved the overall solar utilization efficiency for heating/cooling. In this review, we will review the latest progress in photothermal regulation, including solar heating and passive cooling, and their manipulating strategies. The underlying mechanisms and criteria of highly efficient photothermal regulation in terms of optical absorption/reflection, thermal conversion, transfer, and emission properties corresponding to the extensive catalog of nanostructured materials are discussed. The rational material and structural designs with spectral selectivity for improving the photothermal regulation performance are then highlighted. We finally present the recent significant developments of applications of photothermal regulation in clean energy and environmental areas and give a brief perspective on the current challenges and future development of controlled solar energy utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangliang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Liang Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Siyi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Lihua Han
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Yunzheng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Su Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
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12
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Ji Y, Wang K, Zhao G. Analysis of the Impact of Electrochemical Properties of Copper-Doped Electrode Membranes on the Output Force of Biomimetic Artificial Muscles. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:4214. [PMID: 37959894 PMCID: PMC10648887 DOI: 10.3390/polym15214214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, a biomimetic artificial muscle electroactive actuator was fabricated using environmentally friendly sodium alginate extract. Ultrasonic agitation was employed to embed ultrafine copper powder within a mesh-like structure formed by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), aimed at reducing the internal resistance of the composite electrode membrane and enhancing its output force performance. Focused gallium ion beam-scanning electron microscopy observations, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, and surface morphology imaging confirmed the successful incorporation of the ultrafine copper powder into the MWCNT network. Additionally, we designed and constructed an output force measurement apparatus to assess the output performance of biomimetic artificial muscles (BMAMs) doped with varying quantities of ultrafine copper powder. Electrochemical testing results demonstrated that the artificial muscles exhibited optimal performance when doped with a mass of 1.5 g, yielding a maximum output force of 6.96 mN, an output force density of 30.64 mN/g, and a peak average rate of 0.059 mN/s. These values represented improvements of 224%, 189%, and 222% compared to the electrode membrane without the addition of ultrafine copper powder, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxin Ji
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China;
| | - Keyi Wang
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China;
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13
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Li X, Wu Z, Li B, Xing Y, Huang P, Liu L. Selaginella lepidophylla-Inspired Multi-Stimulus Cooperative Control MXene-Based Flexible Actuator. Soft Robot 2023; 10:861-872. [PMID: 37335927 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2022.0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Predictable bending deformation, high cycle stability, and multimode complex motion have always been the goals pursued in the field of flexible robots. In this study, inspired by the delicate structure and humidity response characteristics of Selaginella lepidophylla, a new multilevel assisted assembly strategy was developed to construct MXene-CoFe2O4 (MXCFO) flexible actuators with different concentration gradients, to achieve predictable bending deformation and multi-stimulus cooperative control of the actuators, revealing the intrinsic link between the gradient change and the bending deformation ability of the actuator. The thickness of the actuator shows uniformity compared with the common layer-by-layer assembly strategy. And, the bionic gradient structured actuator shows high cycle stability, and it maintains excellent interlayer bonding after bending 100 times. The flexible robots designed based on the predictable bending deformation and the multi-stimulus cooperative response characteristics of the actuator initially realize conceptual models of humidity monitoring, climbing, grasping, cargo transportation, and drug delivery. The designed bionic gradient structure and unbound multi-stimulus cooperative control strategy may show great potential in the design and development of robots in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ze Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bingjue Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Youqiang Xing
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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14
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Dong C, Yue X, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Ren ZH, Guan ZH. Synthesis of Self-healing and Light-, Thermal-, and Humidity-induced Deformative Polyurethane Actuator. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2300281. [PMID: 37543181 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Intelligent actuating materials have drawn enormous attention because of their potential applications in soft robots, smart sensors, bionics, etc. Aiming to integrate light, thermal, and humidity stimuli deformations and self-healing function into a single polymer, a smart actuating polyurethane material CPPU-50 is designed and successfully synthesized through co-polymerization of azobenzene-containing Azo-C12 , polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200), and 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) at a ratio of 1:1:2. The obtained polyurethane CPPU-50 exhibits good photoinduced bending, thermal responsive shape memory effect, humidity triggered deflections and self-healing properties. Furthermore, an actuator combining light and thermal stimuli is created and the self-healing CPPU-50 film can withstand the object of 1800 times without tearing. This work can pave a way for further development of long-lived multi-stimuli-responsive actuating devices and intelligent materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Dong
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Nature Molecule of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Carbon Neutral Technology, Department of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolei Yue
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Nature Molecule of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Carbon Neutral Technology, Department of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P. R. China
| | - Yaodu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Nature Molecule of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Carbon Neutral Technology, Department of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P. R. China
| | - Yucheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Nature Molecule of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Carbon Neutral Technology, Department of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Hui Ren
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Nature Molecule of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Carbon Neutral Technology, Department of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P. R. China
| | - Zheng-Hui Guan
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Nature Molecule of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Carbon Neutral Technology, Department of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P. R. China
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15
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Hui X, Luo J, Wang R, Sun H. Multiresponsive Microactuator for Ultrafast Submillimeter Robots. ACS NANO 2023; 17:6589-6600. [PMID: 36976705 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c12203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Untethered submillimeter microrobots have significant application prospects in environment monitoring, reconnaissance, and biomedicine. However, they are practically limited to their slow movement. Here, an electrical/optical-actuated microactuator is reported and developed into several untethered ultrafast submillimeter robots. Composed of multilayer nanofilms with exquisitely designed patterns and high surface-to-volume ratios, the microrobot exhibits flexible, precise, and rapid response under voltages and lasers, resulting in controllable and ultrafast inchworm-type movement. The proposed design and microfabrication approach allows various improved and distinctive 3D microrobots simultaneously. The motion speed is highly related to the laser frequency and reaches 2.96 mm/s (3.66 body length/s) on the polished wafer surface. Excellent movement adaptability of the robot is also verified on other rough substrates. Moreover, directional locomotion can be realized simply by the bias of the irradiation of the laser spot, and the maximum angular speed reaches 167.3°/s. Benefiting from the bimorph film structure and symmetrical configuration, the microrobot is able to maintain functionalized after being crashed by a payload 67 000 times heavier than its weight, or at the unexpectedly reversed state. These results provide a strategy for 3D microactuators with precise and rapid response, and microrobots with fast movement for delicate tasks in narrow and restrictive scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xusheng Hui
- School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shaanxi 710072, China
| | - Jianjun Luo
- School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shaanxi 710072, China
| | - Rong Wang
- School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shaanxi 710072, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Beijing Advanced Medical Technologies, Ltd. Inc., Beijing 102609, China
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16
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Song L, Yang K, Zhao B, Wu Y, Deng J. Chiroptical Elastomer Film Constructed by Chiral Helical Substituted Polyacetylene and Polydimethylsiloxane: Multiple Stimuli Responsivity and Chiral Amplification. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:4601-4611. [PMID: 36642869 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c21242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Chiral and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials with multiple stimuli responses have become a focus of attention. Meanwhile, elastomers have found substantial applications in a wide variety of fields. However, how to design and construct chiral elastomers, in particular CPL-active elastomers, still remains an academic challenge. In the present study, chiral helical substituted polyacetylene is chemically bonded with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by hydrosilylation to form a chiroptically active elastomer. A CPL-active film was further fabricated by adding achiral fluorophores. Compared with the corresponding chiral helical polymer, the chiral films show much enhanced thermal stability in terms of chiroptical properties. The films also demonstrate reversible tunability in optical activity and CPL property when being subjected to a stretching-restoring process and exposed to a solvent like toluene. Further, noticeable chiral amplification is observed when the chiral PDMS film is superimposed with a pure PDMS film. This interesting finding is proposed to be due to the photoreflectivity of PDMS. This study provides an alternative strategy to exploit novel CPL-active elastomer materials with multiple stimuli responsivity and tunability, which may open up new opportunities for developing novel chiroptical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lujie Song
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Kai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Biao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Youping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
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17
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Zhou X, Cao W. Flexible and Stretchable Carbon-Based Sensors and Actuators for Soft Robots. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:316. [PMID: 36678069 PMCID: PMC9864711 DOI: 10.3390/nano13020316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the emergence of low-dimensional carbon-based materials, such as carbon dots, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, together with the advances in materials science, have greatly enriched the variety of flexible and stretchable electronic devices. Compared with conventional rigid devices, these soft robotic sensors and actuators exhibit remarkable advantages in terms of their biocompatibility, portability, power efficiency, and wearability, thus creating myriad possibilities of novel wearable and implantable tactile sensors, as well as micro-/nano-soft actuation systems. Interestingly, not only are carbon-based materials ideal constituents for photodetectors, gas, thermal, triboelectric sensors due to their geometry and extraordinary sensitivity to various external stimuli, but they also provide significantly more precise manipulation of the actuators than conventional centimeter-scale pneumatic and hydraulic robotic actuators, at a molecular level. In this review, we summarize recent progress on state-of-the-art flexible and stretchable carbon-based sensors and actuators that have creatively added to the development of biomedicine, nanoscience, materials science, as well as soft robotics. In the end, we propose the future potential of carbon-based materials for biomedical and soft robotic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Zhou
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenhan Cao
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Energy Efficient and Custom AI IC, Shanghai 201210, China
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18
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Sinha A, Stavrakis AK, Simić M, Stojanović GM. Wearable humidity sensor embroidered on a commercial face mask and its electrical properties. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 2023; 58:1680-1693. [PMID: 36687141 PMCID: PMC9838397 DOI: 10.1007/s10853-022-08135-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Owing to the rapid development in the field of e-textile-based flexible and portable sensors, the present work demonstrates a fully textile-based stretchable face mask humidity sensor which was created using digital embroidery technique. The design of the sensor was comprised of interdigitated structured electrodes made up of polymer core-based conductive silver-coated threads and hygroscopic threads embedded between them. The fabricated sensor performed well towards moisture detection in accordance with the principle where resistance of the face mask sensor decreased with the increase in the relative humidity along with the changing operational frequency in the range from 1 Hz to 200 kHz. The electrical response (resistance, impedance, capacitance and phase angle) of the novel thread-based sensor towards change in relative humidity was recorded and showed in the present work. The embroidery of polymer-based threads onto the face mask towards humidity sensing offers a novel wearable platform for more extended biomedical applications for detection of various breath biomarkers and thus early diagnosis of diseases. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10853-022-08135-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Sinha
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, Novi Sad, 21000 Serbia
| | - Adrian K. Stavrakis
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, Novi Sad, 21000 Serbia
| | - Mitar Simić
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, Novi Sad, 21000 Serbia
| | - Goran M. Stojanović
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, Novi Sad, 21000 Serbia
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19
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Spiaggia G, Taladriz-Blanco P, Hengsberger S, Septiadi D, Geers C, Lee A, Rothen-Rutishauser B, Petri-Fink A. A Near-Infrared Mechanically Switchable Elastomeric Film as a Dynamic Cell Culture Substrate. Biomedicines 2022; 11:biomedicines11010030. [PMID: 36672538 PMCID: PMC9855853 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11010030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Commercial static cell culture substrates can usually not change their physical properties over time, resulting in a limited representation of the variation in biomechanical cues in vivo. To overcome this limitation, approaches incorporating gold nanoparticles to act as transducers to external stimuli have been employed. In this work, gold nanorods were embedded in an elastomeric matrix and used as photothermal transducers to fabricate biocompatible light-responsive substrates. The nanocomposite films analysed by lock-in thermography and nanoindentation show a homogeneous heat distribution and a greater stiffness when irradiated with NIR light. After irradiation, the initial stiffness values were recovered. In vitro experiments performed during NIR irradiation with NIH-3T3 fibroblasts demonstrated that these films were biocompatible and cells remained viable. Cells cultured on the light stiffened nanocomposite exhibited a greater proliferation rate and stronger focal adhesion clustering, indicating increased cell-surface binding strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Spiaggia
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Taladriz-Blanco
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Water Quality Group, Av. Mestre José Veiga s/n, 4715-330 Braga, Portugal
- Correspondence: (P.T.-B.); (A.P.-F.)
| | - Stefan Hengsberger
- School of Engineering and Architecture (HEIA-FR), HES-SO, University of Applied Science and Arts in Western Switzerland, Boulevard de Pérolles 80, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Dedy Septiadi
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Geers
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Aaron Lee
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | | | - Alke Petri-Fink
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (P.T.-B.); (A.P.-F.)
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20
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Li Q, Jiao Y. Ultrafast Photothermal Actuators with a Large Helical Curvature Based on Ultrathin GO and Biaxially Oriented PE Films. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:55828-55838. [PMID: 36484521 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c18478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In nature, there are some amazing superfast actuations (Venus flytrap) and large-curvature helical deformations (the awn of Erodium). Although many bionic actuators have been made (electrothermal, hygroscopic, photoinduced), most of their actuations are slow and small, not comparable to the wonderful ones in nature. Here, we report an ultrafast photothermal actuator with large-curvature curling based on an ultrathin graphene oxide (GO) and biaxially oriented polyethylene (BOPE) bilayer film (thickness ∼11 μm). By virtue of the fast temperature changing rate (peak: 900 °C s-1 during infrared heating and -1200 °C s-1 during cooling) and the great difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion of GO and BOPE layers, the actuator deforms rapidly and greatly. The maximum bending speed and curvature can reach 5300° s-1 and 22 cm-1, respectively, which are comparable to those of wonderful natural actuators and far exceed the performances of the reported artificial actuators. Different from ordinary helical actuators made of uniaxial anisotropic materials, our actuator is based on a typical biaxial anisotropic material of BOPE. However, the morphing behaviors of this type of actuator have not been reported before. So for the first time, we systematically studied this problem through experiments and simulations using the GO-BOPE actuator as a prototype and have drawn clear conclusions. In addition, functional GO-BOPE actuators capable of winding around and manipulating tiny objects were also designed and developed. We think this ultrafast large-curvature photothermal actuator will have wide application prospects in bionic actuations and dexterous robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingwei Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing100081, China
| | - Yan Jiao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing100081, China
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21
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Wang W, Liu S, Wang S, Xiang C, Huang Y, Li M, Wang D. Silicon Distribution-Induced Actuation Film with Bidirectional Bending Deformation and Versatile Bionic Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:55264-55276. [PMID: 36464856 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c18295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
As an important branch of intelligent materials, the research and development of stimulus-responsive flexible intelligent actuation materials is of great significance to promote the industrialization of intelligent materials. In this study, the asymmetric PVA-co-PE/silicon nanoparticle (PPSN) composite films and PVA-co-PE/silicon sol (PPSS) composite film with different silicon distributions were prepared by a simple spraying method. The silicon nanoparticle layer in the PPSN composite film was similar to the sand-like water-absorbing layer, which can quickly absorb water and permeate it into the interior region, leading to the hygroscopic expansion behavior on one side of the nanofiber film. Then, the PPSN composite film would quickly bend and deform to the silicon nanoparticle side. However, in the PPSS composite film, due to the excellent hygroscopicity and swelling characteristics of the silica sol layer, the composite film can be rapidly deformed to the PVA-co-PE nanofiber film side under moisture stimulation. The above results subvert the traditional asymmetric actuation film, which mainly depends on the hydrophilicity difference to determine the hygroscopic responsiveness and deformation direction, and ignore that the swelling degree is the main factor determining the bending direction of actuator. In addition, both the composite films can quickly respond to moisture stimulation (<1 s) and produce large-scale bending deformation (180°). Furthermore, due to the excellent interface adhesion formed by the continuity structure in the PPSS composite film, it has better actuation stability than the PPSN composite film. The excellent actuation characteristics and different bending directions of the PPSN and PPSS composite films make it a great application prospect in the field of bionics in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Shuying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Chenxue Xiang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yangjie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Mufang Li
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
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22
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Pyo S, Eun Y, Sim J, Kim K, Choi J. Carbon nanotube-graphene hybrids for soft electronics, sensors, and actuators. MICRO AND NANO SYSTEMS LETTERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s40486-022-00151-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSoft devices that are mechanically flexible and stretchable are considered as the building blocks for various applications ranging from wearable devices to robotics. Among the many candidate materials for constructing soft devices, carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have been actively investigated owing to their outstanding characteristics, including their intrinsic flexibility, tunable conductivity, and potential for large-area processing. In particular, hybrids of CNTs and graphene can improve the performance of soft devices and provide them with novel capabilities. In this review, the advances in CNT-graphene hybrid-based soft electrodes, transistors, pressure and strain sensors, and actuators are discussed, highlighting the performance improvements of these devices originating from the synergistic effects of the hybrids of CNT and graphene. The integration of multidimensional heterogeneous carbon nanomaterials is expected to be a promising approach for accelerating the development of high-performance soft devices. Finally, current challenges and future opportunities are summarized, from the processing of hybrid materials to the system-level integration of multiple components.
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Ma Z, Liu J, Zhang X, Deng R, Lu S, Wu Y, Qin L, Dong G. Flexible surfaces prepared through direct ink writing with drag reduction and antifouling. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.130233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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24
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Guo Q, Yan J, Wu C, Jiang J, Zhou J, Lin Z, Hua N, Zhang P, Zheng C, Yang K, Weng M. Patterned Aluminum/Polydimethylsiloxane-Laminated Film for a Solvent-Driven Soft Actuator with Programmable and Multistable Shape Morphing. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:49171-49180. [PMID: 36274230 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c14352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Recently, soft actuators capable of deforming in predictable ways under external stimuli have attracted increasing attention by showing great potential in emerging industries. However, limited efforts are being spent on the untethered actuators with multistable deformations. Also, there is a lack of mechanically guiding design principles for multistable structures. Here, the patterned aluminum/polydimethylsiloxane (Al/PDMS)-laminated films with surface wrinkles are fabricated by magnetron sputtering the Al layer on the PDMS substrate. By tuning the geometric parameters and surface constraints of the patterned Al/PDMS-laminated films, a series of solvent-driven actuators with multiform stable configurations (such as monostable arc, multistable cylinder, and monostable/bistable spiral) are proposed. The deformation mechanism is revealed using a linear elastic theory. Combined with the finite element analysis method, the deformations of Al/PDMS-laminated films with different surface constraints and geometric configurations are visually predicted. Besides, we modulate the deformation of different parts of the Z-shaped actuators by tuning the surface constraints in different regions of the Z-shaped Al/PDMS bilayer films to achieve multiple stable deformations in a single actuator. The concept offers a huge design scope for reconfigurable soft robots. Finally, two bionic applications are proposed to demonstrate the practical applications of the soft solvent-driven actuator based on the patterned Al/PDMS films in artificial muscles and bionic robotics. This work provides a strategy for the design and fabrication of programmable and controllable soft actuators, laying the foundation for a wide range of applications in smart materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaohang Guo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Jiuwei Yan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Changsheng Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Junheng Jiang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Jiahao Zhou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Zhijie Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Nengbin Hua
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Peiqian Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Chan Zheng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
| | - Kaihuai Yang
- School of Mechanical and Intelligent Manufacturing, Fujian Chuanzheng Communications College, Fuzhou, Fujian350007, China
| | - Mingcen Weng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou350118, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian350117, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Plant Fiber Functional Materials, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian350108, China
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Direct and remote induced actuation in artificial muscles based on electrospun fiber networks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13084. [PMID: 35906458 PMCID: PMC9338295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16872-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The present work reports a new configuration of soft artificial muscle based on a web of metal covered nylon 6/6 micrometric fibers attached to a thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film. The preparation process is simple and implies the attachment of metalized fiber networks to a PDMS sheet substrate while heating and applying compression. The resulting composite is versatile and can be cut in different shapes as a function of the application sought. When an electric current passes through the metallic web, heat is produced, leading to local dilatation and to subsequent controlled deformation. Because of this, the artificial muscle displays a fast and ample movement (maximum displacement of 0.8 cm) when applying a relatively low voltage (2.2 V), a consequence of the contrast between the thermal expanse coefficients of the PDMS substrate and of the web-like electrode. It was shown that the electrical current producing this effect can originate from both direct electric contacts, and untethered configurations i.e. radio frequency induced. Usually, for thermal activated actuators the heating is produced by using metallic films or conductive carbon-based materials, while here a fast heating/cooling process is obtained by using microfiber-based heaters. This new approach for untethered devices is an interesting path to follow, opening a wide range of applications were autonomous actuation and remote transfer of energy are needed.
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Lv Y, Li Q, Shi J, Qin Z, Lei Q, Zhao B, Zhu L, Pan K. Graphene-Based Moisture Actuator with Oriented Microstructures Prepared by One-Step Laser Reduction for Accurately Controllable Responsive Direction and Position. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:12434-12441. [PMID: 35254054 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c00873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Actuators with fast and precise controllable responses are highly in demand for implementing agilely accurate mechanical movements in smart robots, intelligent sensors, biomimetic devices, and so on. Here, we report a graphene-based moisture actuator with accurately controllable direction and position responses achieved by a fast, controlled, and even programmable one-step laser reduction method. The laser reduction-induced oriented microstructures help to precisely guide the direction and location of the moisture response in graphene-based Janus films. The excellent moisture-mechanical response behaviors in these novel moisture actuators originate from the Janus structures and the periodic microstructures of a line-scanned layer. Our customized complex intelligent devices such as drums, bands, and three-dimensional wave humidity drives can highly match and verify the finite element simulations, which will inspire the creation of further smart robot designs for accurate deformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhuan Lv
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qicong Li
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, and Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jiaxin Shi
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Zhen Qin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qianjin Lei
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, and Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Biao Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Linli Zhu
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, and Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Kai Pan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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Wang M, Zhou L, Deng W, Hou Y, He W, Yu L, Sun H, Ren L, Hou X. Ultrafast Response and Programmable Locomotion of Liquid/Vapor/Light-Driven Soft Multifunctional Actuators. ACS NANO 2022; 16:2672-2681. [PMID: 35040625 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c09477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
External-stimuli-driven soft actuators overcome several limitations inherent in traditional mechanical-driven technology considering the coming age of flexible robots, which might face harsh working conditions and rigorous multifunctional requirements. However, how to achieve multi-external-stimuli response, fast speed, and precise control of the position and angle of the actuator, especially working in a toxic liquid or vapor environment, still requires long-term efforts. Here, we report a multi-external-stimuli-driven sandwich actuator with aligned carbon nanotubes as the constructive subject, which can respond to various types of liquids (organic solvents), vapor, and solar light. The actuator has an ultrafast response speed (<10 ms) and can accurately adjust the bending angle range from 0° to 180°. Through manipulating the stimuli positions, actuators can be wound into varied turns when simulating a flexible robotic arm. Hence, liquid/vapor/light-driven actuators are able to support diverse programmable motions, such as periodic blooming, gesture variations, caterpillar crawling, toxic surface evading, and bionic phototaxis. We believe that this multifunctional actuator is promising in supporting a complex scenario to complete a variety of tasks in the fields of healthcare, bioengineering, chip technology, and mobile sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Wang
- The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province, Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen, Department of Biomaterials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, 422 Siming Nan Road, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Lei Zhou
- Research Institute for Soft Matter and Biomimetics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Wenyan Deng
- Research Institute for Soft Matter and Biomimetics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yaqi Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Wen He
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Lejian Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Hao Sun
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Lei Ren
- The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province, Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen, Department of Biomaterials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, 422 Siming Nan Road, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xu Hou
- Research Institute for Soft Matter and Biomimetics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen 361102, China
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Abstract
Progress in optical manipulation has stimulated remarkable advances in a wide range of fields, including materials science, robotics, medical engineering, and nanotechnology. This Review focuses on an emerging class of optical manipulation techniques, termed heat-mediated optical manipulation. In comparison to conventional optical tweezers that rely on a tightly focused laser beam to trap objects, heat-mediated optical manipulation techniques exploit tailorable optothermo-matter interactions and rich mass transport dynamics to enable versatile control of matter of various compositions, shapes, and sizes. In addition to conventional tweezing, more distinct manipulation modes, including optothermal pulling, nudging, rotating, swimming, oscillating, and walking, have been demonstrated to enhance the functionalities using simple and low-power optics. We start with an introduction to basic physics involved in heat-mediated optical manipulation, highlighting major working mechanisms underpinning a variety of manipulation techniques. Next, we categorize the heat-mediated optical manipulation techniques based on different working mechanisms and discuss working modes, capabilities, and applications for each technique. We conclude this Review with our outlook on current challenges and future opportunities in this rapidly evolving field of heat-mediated optical manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihan Chen
- Materials Science & Engineering Program, Texas Materials Institute, and Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jingang Li
- Materials Science & Engineering Program, Texas Materials Institute, and Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Yuebing Zheng
- Materials Science & Engineering Program, Texas Materials Institute, and Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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29
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Leveille M, Shen X, Fu W, Jin K, Acerce M, Wang C, Bustamante J, Casas AM, Feng Y, Ge N, Hirst LS, Ghosh S, Lu JQ. Directional, Low-Energy Driven Thermal Actuating Bilayer Enabled by Coordinated Submolecular Switching. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2102077. [PMID: 34687166 PMCID: PMC8655216 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202102077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The authors reveal a thermal actuating bilayer that undergoes reversible deformation in response to low-energy thermal stimuli, for example, a few degrees of temperature increase. It is made of an aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet covalently connected to a polymer layer in which dibenzocycloocta-1,5-diene (DBCOD) actuating units are oriented parallel to CNTs. Upon exposure to low-energy thermal stimulation, coordinated submolecular-level conformational changes of DBCODs result in macroscopic thermal contraction. This unique thermal contraction offers distinct advantages. It's inherently fast, repeatable, low-energy driven, and medium independent. The covalent interface and reversible nature of the conformational change bestow this bilayer with excellent repeatability, up to at least 70 000 cycles. Unlike conventional CNT bilayer systems, this system can achieve high precision actuation readily and can be scaled down to nanoscale. A new platform made of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) in tandem with the bilayer can harvest low-grade thermal energy and convert it into electricity. The platform produces 86 times greater energy than PVDF alone upon exposure to 6 °C thermal fluctuations above room temperature. This platform provides a pathway to low-grade thermal energy harvesting. It also enables low-energy driven thermal artificial robotics, ultrasensitive thermal sensors, and remote controlled near infrared (NIR) driven actuators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xinyuan Shen
- Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of California, MercedMerced95343USA
- Macromolecular ScienceFudan UniversityShanghai200433P. R. China
| | - Wenxin Fu
- Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of California, MercedMerced95343USA
| | - Ke Jin
- Macromolecular ScienceFudan UniversityShanghai200433P. R. China
| | - Muharrem Acerce
- Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of California, MercedMerced95343USA
| | - Changchun Wang
- Macromolecular ScienceFudan UniversityShanghai200433P. R. China
| | | | | | - Yuan Feng
- ChemistryUniversity of California, IrvineIrvine92697USA
| | - Nien‐Hui Ge
- ChemistryUniversity of California, IrvineIrvine92697USA
| | | | | | - Jennifer Qing Lu
- PhysicsUniversity of California, MercedMerced95343USA
- Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of California, MercedMerced95343USA
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30
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Wang W, Wang S, Xiang C, Liu S, Li M, Wang D. Graphene Oxide/Nanofiber-Based Actuation Films with Moisture and Photothermal Stimulation Response for Remote Intelligent Control Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:48179-48188. [PMID: 34586793 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The rapid development of intelligent technology and industry has induced higher requirements for multifunctional materials, especially intelligent materials with stimulus-responsive self-actuation behavior. In this study, a Cu@PVA-co-PE/GO composite actuation film, with an asymmetric sandwich structure, was prepared by attaching graphene oxide (GO) to the surface of a polyvinyl alcohol ethylene copolymer (PVA-co-PE) nanofiber composite film containing copper nanoparticles (Cu) through layer-on-layer adsorption. This unique structural design endowed the composite film with not only excellent structural stability but also different bending directions (in response to moisture and infrared light). The actuation performance shows that when the adsorption time was 4 h, the maximum bending angle of the Cu@PVA-co-PE/GO composite film was up to 90° within 5.99 s. Furthermore, the actuation behavior was stable after 100 cycles of reversible moisture stimulation. Additionally, the maximum actuation strain of the composite film was up to 1.35 MPa during the illumination time of 6.8 s and maintained an excellent stability for 400 s under continuous infrared stimulation of 0.53 W/cm2. The rapid and sensitive stimulus response of the Cu@PVA-co-PE/GO composite film exhibited self-actuation behavior under the remote control of moisture and infrared light. This, in turn, suggests prospects for wide applications in emerging technologies, such as intelligent switches, artificial muscles, intelligent medical treatment, and flexible robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Chenxue Xiang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Shuying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Mufang Li
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber and Products (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430200, China
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
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31
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Cheng M, Li Q. Left-Handed or Right-Handed? Determinants of the Chirality of Helically Deformable Soft Actuators. Soft Robot 2021; 9:850-860. [PMID: 34582707 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2021.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Helical curling and spiral structure are very common in nature, which inspire researchers to create various forms of helical configurations and actuators. The helically deformable actuators perform asymmetric deformations and show different chirality, which means that they can be left handed or right handed. However, the mechanism of helical curling and especially how the key factors influence the chirality of the actuator have not been systematically explained and well understood. In this study, we focus on the typical double-layer soft actuator composed of an active (expansion) layer and a passive (supporting) layer and investigate the effect of key factors (expansion coefficient, Young's modulus, relative thickness) on the chirality of the helical actuation or morphing by comprehensive finite element analyses. It was found that (i) the anisotropic expansion of the active layer or (ii) the anisotropic Young's modulus of the active or the passive layer is indispensable for helical curling. In Case (i), the actuator curls along the direction of greater expansion of the active layer. In Case (ii), the actuator curls along the direction of closer moduli match of the active and passive layers, and their relative thickness also affects the helical morphing of the actuator. In practice, the above two factors may cooperate or compete with each other, and the dominant one determines the chirality. This work gives the general rules for helical morphing forms and can provide guidance for the design and preparation of spiral actuators and soft robots in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Cheng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Qingwei Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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32
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Kang Z, Nie Y, Yu L, Zhang S, Skov AL. Highly Sensitive Flexible Pressure Sensors Enabled by Mixing of Silicone Elastomer With Ionic Liquid-Grafted Silicone Oil. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:737500. [PMID: 34616775 PMCID: PMC8488264 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.737500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing highly sensitive flexible pressure sensors has become crucially urgent due to the increased societal demand for wearable electronic devices capable of monitoring various human motions. The sensitivity of such sensors has been shown to be significantly enhanced by increasing the relative dielectric permittivity of the dielectric layers used in device construction via compositing with immiscible ionic conductors. Unfortunately, however, the elastomers employed for this purpose possess inhomogeneous morphologies, and thus suffer from poor long-term durability and unstable electrical response. In this study, we developed a novel, flexible, and highly sensitive pressure sensor using an elastomeric dielectric layer with particularly high permittivity and homogeneity due to the addition of synthesized ionic liquid-grafted silicone oil (denoted LMS-EIL). LMS-EIL possesses both a very high relative dielectric permittivity (9.6 × 105 at 10-1 Hz) and excellent compatibility with silicone elastomers due to the covalently connected structure of conductive ionic liquid (IL) and chloropropyl silicone oil. A silicone elastomer with a relative permittivity of 22 at 10-1 Hz, Young's modulus of 0.78 MPa, and excellent homogeneity was prepared by incorporating 10 phr (parts per hundreds rubber) of LMS-EIL into an elastomer matrix. The sensitivity of the pressure sensor produced using this optimized silicone elastomer was 0.51 kPa-1, which is 100 times higher than that of the pristine elastomer. In addition, a high durability illustrated by 100 loading-unloading cycles and a rapid response and recovery time of approximately 60 ms were achieved. The excellent performance of this novel pressure sensor suggests significant potential for use in human interfaces, soft robotics, and electronic skin applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoqing Kang
- Danish Polymer Center, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liyun Yu
- Danish Polymer Center, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Suojiang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Anne Ladegaard Skov
- Danish Polymer Center, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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33
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Dong L, Ren M, Wang Y, Qiao J, Wu Y, He J, Wei X, Di J, Li Q. Self-sensing coaxial muscle fibers with bi-lengthwise actuation. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2021; 8:2541-2552. [PMID: 34870310 DOI: 10.1039/d1mh00743b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Artificial muscle fibers as a promising biomimetic actuator are needed for such applications as smart soft robots, muscle function restoration, and physical augmentation. Currently developed artificial muscle fibers have shown attractive performance in contractile and torsional actuations. However, the contractile muscle fibers do not have the capability of stimulus-responsive elongation, and real-time identifying their contractile position by themselves is still challenging. We report herein the preparation of a Ti3C2Tx MXene/single walled carbon-nanotubes (SWCNTs)-coated carbon nanotube (CNT)@polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coaxial muscle fiber that integrates the important features of self-position sensing and bi-lengthwise actuation. The bi-lengthwise actuation is realized by utilizing the large expansion coefficient difference of PDMS in response to solvent and heat, which results in ∼5% maximum elongation by n-heptane adsorption and ∼19% maximum contraction by electric heating under the optimal conditions. Meanwhile, due to the piezoresistive effect of the MXene/SWCNTs layer, the resistance change of this coating layer is almost linearly dependent on the contraction of the coaxial muscle fiber, providing a function of real-time self-position sensing. Furthermore, an application of using a bundle of these multifunctional coaxial muscle fibers for a bionic arm has been demonstrated, which provides new insights into the design of integrated intelligent artificial muscles with synergistic multiple functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhong Dong
- School of Nano-Technology and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ming Ren
- School of Nano-Technology and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yulian Wang
- School of Nano-Technology and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jian Qiao
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yulong Wu
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jianfeng He
- School of Nano-Technology and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xulin Wei
- School of Nano-Technology and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jiangtao Di
- School of Nano-Technology and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
- Division of Nanomaterials, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330200, China
| | - Qingwen Li
- School of Nano-Technology and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
- Advanced Materials Division, Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
- Division of Nanomaterials, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330200, China
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Xiao X, Ma H, Zhang X. Flexible Photodriven Actuator Based on Gradient-Paraffin-Wax-Filled Ti 3C 2T x MXene Film for Bionic Robots. ACS NANO 2021; 15:12826-12835. [PMID: 34240849 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c03950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Due to their high flexibility and adaptability, bionic robots have great potential in applications such as healthcare, rescue, and surveillance. The flexible actuator is an essential component of the bionic robot and determines its performance. Even though much progress has been achieved in bionic robot research, there still exists a great challenge in preparing a flexible actuator with a large stroke, high sensitivity, fast response, low triggering power, and long lifetime. This study presents a flexible actuator based on a paraffin wax and Ti3C2Tx MXene (PW-MX) film composite. Such a flexible actuator delivers an excellent actuation performance, including a large curvature change (2.2 × 102 m-1), high thermal sensitivity (4.6 m-1/°C), low triggering power of light (76 mW/cm2), wavelength selectivity, fast response (0.38 s), and long lifetime (>20000 cycles). Due to the high thermal sensitivity and the strong infrared absorption of the PW-MX film, crawling motion of an inchworm robot based on PW-MX film can be triggered by infrared irradiation from the human finger. To mimic living organisms with bioluminescence, we prepared a PW-MX actuator with green fluorescence by doping PW-MX film with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. The integration of luminescent function enables the PW-MX actuator to deliver information under light stimulation and to camouflage under a background of green foliage actively. With its merits of ease of fabrication and high actuation performance, the flexible PW-MX actuator is expected to lend itself to more applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xiao
- Faculty of Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - He Ma
- Faculty of Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Xinping Zhang
- Faculty of Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
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Abstract
Smart materials are a kind of functional materials which can sense and response to environmental conditions or stimuli from optical, electrical, magnetic mechanical, thermal, and chemical signals, etc. Patterning of smart materials is the key to achieving large-scale arrays of functional devices. Over the last decades, printing methods including inkjet printing, template-assisted printing, and 3D printing are extensively investigated and utilized in fabricating intelligent micro/nano devices, as printing strategies allow for constructing multidimensional and multimaterial architectures. Great strides in printable smart materials are opening new possibilities for functional devices to better serve human beings, such as wearable sensors, integrated optoelectronics, artificial neurons, and so on. However, there are still many challenges and drawbacks that need to be overcome in order to achieve the controllable modulation between smart materials and device performance. In this review, we give an overview on printable smart materials, printing strategies, and applications of printed functional devices. In addition, the advantages in actual practices of printing smart materials-based devices are discussed, and the current limitations and future opportunities are proposed. This review aims to summarize the recent progress and provide reference for novel smart materials and printing strategies as well as applications of intelligent devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Su
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Nanomaterials for Green Printing Technology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Zhongguancun North First Street 2, 100190 Beijing, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road no.19A, 100049 Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yanlin Song
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Nanomaterials for Green Printing Technology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Zhongguancun North First Street 2, 100190 Beijing, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road no.19A, 100049 Beijing, P. R. China
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Wei J, Jia S, Wei J, Ma C, Shao Z. Tough and Multifunctional Composite Film Actuators Based on Cellulose Nanofibers toward Smart Wearables. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:38700-38711. [PMID: 34370460 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c09653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although humidity-responsive actuators serve as a promising candidate in smart wearables, artificial muscles, and biomimetic devices, most of them derived from synthetic polymers could not simultaneously achieve multifunctional properties. In this work, a cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-based film actuator with high mechanical properties, excellent Joule heating, and antibacterial capability is successfully constructed by integrating with Ti3C2Tx (MXene) and tannic acid (TA) via a vacuum-assisted filtration approach. Owing to the unique nacrelike structure and strong hydrogen bonds, the tensile strength and toughness of the composite film could reach 275.4 MPa and 10.2 MJ·m-3, respectively. Importantly, the hydrophilic nature of CNFs and alterable interlayer spacing of MXene nanosheets endow the composite film with sensitive humidity response and extraordinary stability (1000 cycles). With the assistance of MXene nanosheets and TA, the composite film could not only present outstanding Joule heating but also possess remarkable antibacterial properties against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Benefiting from the above merits, the proof-of-concept smart garment is assembled by the as-prepared film and is capable of regulating humidity and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wei
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Cellulose and Its Derivatives, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Jia
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Cellulose and Its Derivatives, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Jie Wei
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Cellulose and Its Derivatives, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Chao Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Tsinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Ziqiang Shao
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Cellulose and Its Derivatives, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
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Assessment of the Physical, Mechanical, and Tribological Properties of PDMS Thin Films Based on Different Curing Conditions. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14164489. [PMID: 34443012 PMCID: PMC8401477 DOI: 10.3390/ma14164489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a silicone-based elastomeric polymer, is generally cured by applying heat to a mixture of a PDMS base and crosslinking agent, and its material properties differ according to the mixing ratio and heating conditions. In this study, we analyzed the effects of different curing processes on the various properties of PDMS thin films prepared by mixing a PDMS solution comprising a PDMS base and a crosslinking agent in a ratio of 10:1. The PDMS thin films were cured using three heat transfer methods: convection heat transfer using an oven, conduction heat transfer using a hotplate, and conduction heat transfer using an ultrasonic device that generates heat internally from ultrasonic vibrations. The physical, chemical, mechanical, and tribological properties of the PDMS thin films were assessed after curing. The polymer chains in the PDMS thin films varied according to the heat transfer method, which resulted in changes in the mechanical and tribological properties. The ultrasonicated PDMS thin film exhibited the highest crystallinity, and hence, the best mechanical, friction, and wear properties.
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Zheng Q, Xu C, Jiang Z, Zhu M, Chen C, Fu F. Smart Actuators Based on External Stimulus Response. Front Chem 2021; 9:650358. [PMID: 34136462 PMCID: PMC8200850 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.650358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Smart actuators refer to integrated devices that are composed of smart and artificial materials, and can provide actuation and dampening capabilities in response to single/multi external stimuli (such as light, heat, magnetism, electricity, humidity, and chemical reactions). Due to their capability of dynamically sensing and interaction with complex surroundings, smart actuators have attracted increasing attention in different application fields, such as artificial muscles, smart textiles, smart sensors, and soft robots. Among these intelligent material, functional hydrogels with fiber structure are of great value in the manufacture of smart actuators. In this review, we summarized the recent advances in stimuli-responsive actuators based on functional materials. We emphasized the important role of functional nano-material-based additives in the preparation of the stimulus response materials, then analyzed the driving response medium, the preparation method, and the performance of different stimuli responses in detail. In addition, some challenges and future prospects of smart actuators are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinchao Zheng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Mirco- and Nano-Fabrication Materials, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenxue Xu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Mirco- and Nano-Fabrication Materials, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenlin Jiang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Mirco- and Nano-Fabrication Materials, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China.,Science and Technology on Advanced Ceramic Fibers and Composites Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Min Zhu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Mirco- and Nano-Fabrication Materials, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Mirco- and Nano-Fabrication Materials, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanfan Fu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Kim K, Guo Y, Bae J, Choi S, Song HY, Park S, Hyun K, Ahn SK. 4D Printing of Hygroscopic Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2100910. [PMID: 33938152 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202100910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are broadly recognized as programmable actuating materials that are responsive to external stimuli, typically heat or light. Yet, soft LCEs that respond to changes in environmental humidity are not reported, except a few examples based on rigid liquid crystal networks with limited processing. Herein, a new class of highly deformable hygroscopic LCE actuators that can be prepared by versatile processing methods, including surface alignment as well as 3D printing is presented. The dimethylamino-functionalized LCE is prepared by the aza-Michael addition reaction between a reactive LC monomer and N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine as a chain extender, followed by photopolymerization. The humidity-responsive properties are introduced by activating one of the LCE surfaces with an acidic solution, which generates cations on the surface and provides asymmetric hydrophilicity to the LCE. The resulting humidity-responsive LCE undergoes programmed and reversible hygroscopic actuation, and its shape transformation can be directed by the cut angle with respect to a nematic director or by localizing activation regions in the LCE. Most importantly, various hygroscopic LCE actuators, including (porous) bilayers, a flower, a concentric square array, and a soft gripper, are successfully fabricated by using LC inks in UV-assisted direct-ink-writing-based 3D printing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keumbee Kim
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuanhang Guo
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehee Bae
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Subi Choi
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeong Yong Song
- Institute for Environment and Energy, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungmin Park
- Advanced Materials Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu Hyun
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Kyun Ahn
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
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40
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Ilami M, Bagheri H, Ahmed R, Skowronek EO, Marvi H. Materials, Actuators, and Sensors for Soft Bioinspired Robots. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2003139. [PMID: 33346386 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202003139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Biological systems can perform complex tasks with high compliance levels. This makes them a great source of inspiration for soft robotics. Indeed, the union of these fields has brought about bioinspired soft robotics, with hundreds of publications on novel research each year. This review aims to survey fundamental advances in bioinspired soft actuators and sensors with a focus on the progress between 2017 and 2020, providing a primer for the materials used in their design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Ilami
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport & Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Hosain Bagheri
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport & Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Reza Ahmed
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport & Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - E Olga Skowronek
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport & Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Hamid Marvi
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport & Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
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41
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Liu Y, Chen Z, Han D, Mao J, Ma J, Zhang Y, Sun H. Bioinspired Soft Robots Based on the Moisture-Responsive Graphene Oxide. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2002464. [PMID: 34026430 PMCID: PMC8132057 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Graphene oxide (GO), which has many oxygen functional groups, is a promising candidate for use in moisture-responsive sensors and actuators due to the strong water-GO interaction and the ultrafast transport of water molecules within the stacked GO sheets. In the last 5 years, moisture-responsive actuators based on GO have shown distinct advantages over other stimuli-responsive materials and devices. Particularly, inspired by nature organisms, various moisture-enabled soft robots have been successfully developed via rational assembly of the GO-based actuators. Herein, the milestones in the development of moisture-responsive soft robots based on GO are summarized. In addition, the working mechanisms, design principles, current achievement, and prospects are also comprehensively reviewed. In particular, the GO-based soft robots are at the forefront of the advancement of automatable smart devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐Qing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin University2699 Qianjin StreetChangchun130012China
| | - Zhao‐Di Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin University2699 Qianjin StreetChangchun130012China
| | - Dong‐Dong Han
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin University2699 Qianjin StreetChangchun130012China
| | - Jiang‐Wei Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin University2699 Qianjin StreetChangchun130012China
| | - Jia‐Nan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin University2699 Qianjin StreetChangchun130012China
| | - Yong‐Lai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin University2699 Qianjin StreetChangchun130012China
| | - Hong‐Bo Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin University2699 Qianjin StreetChangchun130012China
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and InstrumentsDepartment of Precision InstrumentTsinghua UniversityHaidian DistrictBeijing100084China
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42
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Xiao Y, Lin J, Xiao J, Weng M, Zhang W, Zhou P, Luo Z, Chen L. A multi-functional light-driven actuator with an integrated temperature-sensing function based on a carbon nanotube composite. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:6259-6265. [PMID: 33885612 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr09210j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Actuators play an important role in the fields of intelligent robots and wearable electronics. Temperature has a great impact on the performances of many actuators. However, most of the traditional actuators only have an actuating function, failing to monitor and send real-time feedback of the temperature of the actuator. To solve the existing problem and break the single-function limit of traditional actuators, we propose a multi-functional light-driven actuator integrated with a temperature-sensing function, which is based on a carbon nanotube (CNT) and methylcellulose (MC) composite. When the CNT-MC film is assembled with biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) to form a bilayer structure, the CNT-MC/BOPP actuator can be driven by near-infrared (NIR) light. Its morphing is based on thermal expansion differences between two layers and shrinkage of MC induced by water loss. The maximal bending curvature is up to 1.03 cm-1. Meanwhile, the resistance of the actuator can change by about 10%, which realizes real-time temperature monitoring and feedback. Furthermore, we demonstrate two practical applications. First, the CNT-MC film can work as a temperature sensor, as its resistance changes with the temperature in real time. Second, we design an intelligent gripper, which can monitor the temperature during the entire working process. This multi-functional CNT-based device is expected to have a broad application prospect in artificial muscles, soft robotics and wearable electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Xiao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, China.
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Chen Y, Yang J, Zhang X, Feng Y, Zeng H, Wang L, Feng W. Light-driven bimorph soft actuators: design, fabrication, and properties. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2021; 8:728-757. [PMID: 34821314 DOI: 10.1039/d0mh01406k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Soft robots that can move like living organisms and adapt to their surroundings are currently in the limelight from fundamental studies to technological applications, due to their advances in material flexibility, human-friendly interaction, and biological adaptation that surpass conventional rigid machines. Light-fueled smart actuators based on responsive soft materials are considered to be one of the most promising candidates to promote the field of untethered soft robotics, thereby attracting considerable attention amongst materials scientists and microroboticists to investigate photomechanics, photoswitch, bioinspired design, and actuation realization. In this review, we discuss the recent state-of-the-art advances in light-driven bimorph soft actuators, with the focus on bilayer strategy, i.e., integration between photoactive and passive layers within a single material system. Bilayer structures can endow soft actuators with unprecedented features such as ultrasensitivity, programmability, superior compatibility, robustness, and sophistication in controllability. We begin with an explanation about the working principle of bimorph soft actuators and introduction of a synthesis pathway toward light-responsive materials for soft robotics. Then, photothermal and photochemical bimorph soft actuators are sequentially introduced, with an emphasis on the design strategy, actuation performance, underlying mechanism, and emerging applications. Finally, this review is concluded with a perspective on the existing challenges and future opportunities in this nascent research Frontier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhao Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China.
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Feng P, Du X, Guo J, Wang K, Song B. Light-Responsive Nanofibrous Motor with Simultaneously Precise Locomotion and Reversible Deformation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:8985-8996. [PMID: 33583177 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c22340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Light-powered micromotors have drawn enormous attention because of their potential applications in cargo delivery, environmental monitoring, and noninvasive surgery. However, the existing micromotors still suffer from some challenges, including slow speed, poor controllability, single locomotion mode, and no deformation during movement. Herein, we employ a combined electrospinning with brushing of Chinese ink to simply fabricate a light-responsive gradient-structured poly(vinyl alcohol)/carbon (PVA/carbon) composite motor. Because of the surface deposition and ultrahigh loading amount of carbon nanoparticles (ca. 43%), the motor exhibits rapid (39 mm/s), direction-controlled, and multimodal locomotion (vertical movement, horizontal motion, rotation) under light irradiation. Simultaneously, gradient alignment structure of the PVA nanofibrous matrix endows the motor with controllable and reversible deformation during locomotion. We finally demonstrate the potential applications of the motors in leakage monitoring, object salvage, smart access, and intelligent assembly. The present work will inspire the design of novel photosensitive motors for applications in various fields, such as microrobots, environmental monitoring, and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Feng
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolong Du
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Botao Song
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
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45
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Li Z, Ye Z, Han L, Fan Q, Wu C, Ding D, Xin HL, Myung NV, Yin Y. Polarization-Modulated Multidirectional Photothermal Actuators. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2006367. [PMID: 33296108 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202006367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photothermal actuators have attracted increasing attention due to their ability to convert light energy into mechanical deformation and locomotion. This work reports a freestanding, multidirectional photothermal robot that can walk along a predesigned pathway by modulating laser polarization and on-off switching. Magnetic-plasmonic hybrid Fe3 O4 /Ag nanorods are synthesized using an unconventional templating approach. The coupled magnetic and plasmonic anisotropy allows control of the rod orientation, plasmonic excitation, and photothermal conversion by simply applying a magnetic field. Once the rods are fixed with desirable orientations in a bimorph actuator by magnetic-field-assisted lithography, the bending of the actuator can be controlled by switching the laser polarization. A bipedal robot is created by coupling the rod orientation with the alternating actuation of its two legs. Irradiating the robot by a laser with alternating or fixed polarization synergistically results in basic movement (backward and forward) and turning (including left-, right-, and U-turn), respectively. A complex walk along predesigned pathways can be potentially programmed by combining the movement and turning modes of the robots. This strategy provides an alternative driving mechanism for preparing functional soft robots, thus breaking through the limitations in the existing systems in terms of light sources and actuation manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Zuyang Ye
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Lili Han
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Qingsong Fan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Chaolumen Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Deng Ding
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Huolin L Xin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Nosang Vincent Myung
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Yadong Yin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
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Weng M, Xiao Y, Yao L, Zhang W, Zhou P, Chen L. Programmable and Self-Healing Light-Driven Actuators through Synergetic Use of Water-Shaping and -Welding Methods. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:55125-55133. [PMID: 33253523 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c14380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Shape programming is critical for the fabrication of a light-driven actuator with complex shape morphing, which demonstrates potential applications in remote-controlled light-driven soft robots. However, it remains a huge challenge to obtain light-driven actuators having advantages of complex shape morphing, self-healing function, and facile fabrication simultaneously. Here, we report a facile strategy to obtain programmable and self-healing light-driven actuators with complex shape morphing. Various initial shapes of actuators can be programmed by synergetic use of water-shaping and -welding methods, which provides unlimited opportunities for fabricating actuators with predesigned shapes and subsequently demonstrating complex shape morphing. A template transfer method is used to prepare a single-layer graphene oxide (GO) film with asymmetric surface structures, which acts as the basic actuator and has the self-healing function based on the hydrophilic property of GO. It shows bending morphing under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation due to the photothermal effect and asymmetric morphology on the opposite surfaces. Four more types of actuators are programmed from the basic actuator through the water-shaping method, which exhibits bending, unbending, twisting, and untwisting, respectively, under NIR light illumination. In addition, an S-shape actuator and a flower-shape actuator are programmed from the basic actuators through the water-welding method. By simply turning over the S-shape actuator, it can perform a bidirectional crawling motion. Finally, two intricate bionic light-driven actuators (tendril-shape and octopus-shape) are constructed, which are unattainable from conventional fabrication methods of actuators. We believe that this study will unlock a new way to programmable, self-healing, and light-driven soft robots with tunable and complex shape morphing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingcen Weng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, China
- Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Yiwen Xiao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
- Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Liqiang Yao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
- Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
- Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Peidi Zhou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
- Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Luzhuo Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
- Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117, China
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Abstract
Hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots have been extensively developed by incorporating multi-functional materials, such as carbon-based nanoparticles, nanowires, low-dimensional materials, and liquid crystals. In addition to the general functions of conventional soft robots, hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots have displayed significantly advanced multi-mechanical, electrical, or/and optical properties accompanied with smart shape transformation in response to external stimuli, such as heat, light, and even biomaterials. This review surveys the current enhanced scientific methods to synthesize the integration of multi-functional materials within stimuli-responsive soft robots. Furthermore, this review focuses on the applications of hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots in the forms of actuators and sensors that display multi-responsive and highly sensitive properties. Finally, it highlights the current challenges of stimuli-responsive soft robots and suggests perspectives on future directions for achieving intelligent hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots applicable in real environments.
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48
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Qiu X, Guo Q, Wang Y, Huang X, Cao J, Zheng Z, Zhang X. Self-Healing and Reconfigurable Actuators Based on Synergistically Cross-Linked Supramolecular Elastomer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:41981-41990. [PMID: 32835472 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c11708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Stimulus-responsive soft actuators show great potential in intelligent robot systems for their various virtues, such as arbitrary shape morphing, outstanding adaptability to environment, and multidegrees of freedom. However, it is extremely challenging to achieve a combination of excellent actuating performance and robust mechanical strength as well as self-healing property. Herein we report a near-infrared light-responsive soft actuator based on the synergistic effects of a crystalline physical cross-linked network and a hydrogen bonding supramolecular network. The actuator exhibits outstanding comprehensive performance including fast and reliable light-responsive behavior (bending angle over 90° within 1.6 s), robust mechanical strength (12.52 MPa), superfast self-healing speed (2 s), and satisfactory self-healing efficiency in both mechanical (87.68%) and actuating (99.50%) performance. In addition, it is convenient to fabricate and reconfigure the actuators by a mild-temperature molding strategy to acquire various three-dimensional structures, thus achieving diverse actuating locomotion. This work provides a powerful and facile strategy to prepare soft actuators with intriguing performance, allowing significant progress in broadening their practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Quanquan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yuyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jie Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zhuo Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xinxing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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49
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Zhang F, Liu W, Liang L, Liu C, Wang S, Shi H, Xie Y, Yang M, Pi K. Applications of hydrophobic α,ω-bis(amino)-terminated polydimethylsiloxane-graphene oxide in enhancement of anti-corrosion ability of waterborne polyurethane. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.124981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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50
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Wang Y, Zhang L, Zhang Z, Sun P, Chen H. High-Sensitivity Wearable and Flexible Humidity Sensor Based on Graphene Oxide/Non-Woven Fabric for Respiration Monitoring. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:9443-9448. [PMID: 32693594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The popularity of humidity sensing for respiratory analysis of patients is gradually increasing because of its portability and cost-effectiveness. However, current flexible humidity sensors are mainly made of polymer films, whose poor hygroscopicity and breathability reduce their sensitivity and comfort. In this study, a highly sensitive humidity sensor was developed using non-woven fabric (NWF) coated with graphene oxide (GO). Bovine serum albumin was used to improve the adsorption of GO onto the NWF, and its effect on sensitivity was investigated by adjusting its concentration. High-humidity sensitivity was experimentally validated by testing different relative humidity levels, and its fast response and excellent feasibility under diverse breathing conditions were verified by successful monitoring of fast and deep breathing, differentiating nose and mouth breathing, and even identifying simple spoken words. This study developed a breathable and skin-friendly humidity sensor based on GO/NWF, which is a promising device for human healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamei Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Liwen Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Pengyuan Sun
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Huawei Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
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