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Gao Y, Wang X, Chen Y. Light-driven soft microrobots based on hydrogels and LCEs: development and prospects. RSC Adv 2024; 14:14278-14288. [PMID: 38694551 PMCID: PMC11062240 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00495g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In the daily life of mankind, microrobots can respond to stimulations received and perform different functions, which can be used to complete repetitive or dangerous tasks. Magnetic driving works well in robots that are tens or hundreds of microns in size, but there are big challenges in driving microrobots that are just a few microns in size. Therefore, it is impossible to guarantee the precise drive of microrobots to perform tasks. Acoustic driven micro-nano robot can achieve non-invasive and on-demand movement, and the drive has good biological compatibility, but the drive mode has low resolution and requires expensive experimental equipment. Light-driven robots move by converting light energy into other forms of energy. Light is a renewable, powerful energy source that can be used to transmit energy. Due to the gradual maturity of beam modulation and optical microscope technology, the application of light-driven microrobots has gradually become widespread. Light as a kind of electromagnetic wave, we can change the energy of light by controlling the wavelength and intensity of light. Therefore, the light-driven robot has the advantages of programmable, wireless, high resolution and accurate spatio-temporal control. According to the types of robots, light-driven robots are subdivided into three categories, namely light-driven soft microrobots, photochemical microrobots and 3D printed hard polymer microrobots. In this paper, the driving materials, driving mechanisms and application scenarios of light-driven soft microrobots are reviewed, and their advantages and limitations are discussed. Finally, we prospected the field, pointed out the challenges faced by light-driven soft micro robots and proposed corresponding solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingnan Gao
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University Yantai 264005 China
| | - Xiaowen Wang
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University Yantai 264005 China
| | - Yibao Chen
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University Yantai 264005 China
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Yao X, Chen H, Qin H, Cong HP. Nanocomposite Hydrogel Actuators with Ordered Structures: From Nanoscale Control to Macroscale Deformations. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2300414. [PMID: 37365950 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Flexible intelligent actuators with the characteristics of flexibility, safety and scalability, are highly promising in industrial production, biomedical fields, environmental monitoring, and soft robots. Nanocomposite hydrogels are attractive candidates for soft actuators due to their high pliability, intelligent responsiveness, and capability to execute large-scale rapid reversible deformations under external stimuli. Here, the recent advances of nanocomposite hydrogels as soft actuators are reviewed and focus is on the construction of elaborate and programmable structures by the assembly of nano-objects in the hydrogel matrix. With the help of inducing the gradient or oriented distributions of the nanounits during the gelation process by the external forces or molecular interactions, nanocomposite hydrogels with ordered structures are achieved, which can perform bending, spiraling, patterned deformations, and biomimetic complex shape changes. Given great advantages of these intricate yet programmable shape-morphing, nanocomposite hydrogel actuators have presented high potentials in the fields of moving robots, energy collectors, and biomedicines. In the end, the challenges and future perspectives of this emerging field of nanocomposite hydrogel actuators are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Haili Qin
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Huai-Ping Cong
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
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Zhang J, Lv S, Zhao X, Ma S, Zhou F. Surface functionalization of polyurethanes: A critical review. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 325:103100. [PMID: 38330882 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103100] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic polymers, particularly polyurethanes (PUs), have revolutionized bioengineering and biomedical devices due to their customizable mechanical properties and long-term stability. However, the inherent hydrophobic nature of PU surfaces arises common issues such as high friction, strong protein adsorption, and thrombosis, especially in the physiological environment of blood contact. To overcome these issues, researchers have explored various modification techniques to improve the surface biofunctionality of PUs. In this review, we have systematically summarized several typical surface modification methods including surface plasma modification, surface oxidation-induced grafting polymerization, isocyanate-based chemistry coupling, UV-induced surface grafting polymerization, adhesives-assisted attachment strategy, small molecules-bridge grafting, solvent evaporation technique, and hydrogen bonding interaction. Correspondingly, the advantages, limitations, and future prospects of these surface modification methods were discussed. This review provides an important guidance or tool for developing surface functionalized PUs in the fields of bioengineering and medical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinshuai Zhang
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai Zhongke Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Green Chemical Engineering, Yantai 264006, China
| | - Siyao Lv
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai Zhongke Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Green Chemical Engineering, Yantai 264006, China
| | - Xiaoduo Zhao
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai Zhongke Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Green Chemical Engineering, Yantai 264006, China; State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shuanhong Ma
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai Zhongke Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Green Chemical Engineering, Yantai 264006, China; State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Feng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Wang L, Gan C, Sun H, Feng L. Magnetic nanoparticle swarm with upstream motility and peritumor blood vessel crossing ability. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:14227-14237. [PMID: 37599587 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr02610h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Micro-nano-robots show great potential and value for applications in targeted drug delivery; however, very few current studies have enabled micro-nano-robots to move against blood flow, and in addition, how micro-nano-robots can penetrate endothelial cells and enter tissues via vascular permeation remains unclear. Inspired by the bionics of dynamic aggregation in wild herring schools and transvascular permeation of leukocytes, we propose a novel drug delivery strategy where thousands of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) can be assembled into swarms under the guidance of a specially designed electromagnetic field. The vortex-like swarms of magnetic nanoparticles exhibit excellent stability, allowing them to withstand the impact of high-speed flow and move upstream along the vessel wall, stopping at the target location. When the vortex-like swarms encounter a tumor periphery without a continuous vessel wall, their rheological properties actively adhere them to the edges of the vascular endothelial gap, using their deformability to crawl through narrow intercellular gaps, enabling large-scale targeted drug delivery. This cluster of miniature nanorobots can be reshaped and reconfigured to perform a variety of tasks according to the environmental demands of the circulatory system, providing new solutions for a variety of biomedical field applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyao Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Chunyuan Gan
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Hongyan Sun
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Lin Feng
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
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Tao Y, Lin L, Ren X, Wang X, Cao X, Gu H, Ye Y, Ren Y, Zhang Z. Four-Dimensional Micro/Nanorobots via Laser Photochemical Synthesis towards the Molecular Scale. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1656. [PMID: 37763819 PMCID: PMC10537291 DOI: 10.3390/mi14091656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Miniaturized four-dimensional (4D) micro/nanorobots denote a forerunning technique associated with interdisciplinary applications, such as in embeddable labs-on-chip, metamaterials, tissue engineering, cell manipulation, and tiny robotics. With emerging smart interactive materials, static micro/nanoscale architectures have upgraded to the fourth dimension, evincing time-dependent shape/property mutation. Molecular-level 4D robotics promises complex sensing, self-adaption, transformation, and responsiveness to stimuli for highly valued functionalities. To precisely control 4D behaviors, current-laser-induced photochemical additive manufacturing, such as digital light projection, stereolithography, and two-photon polymerization, is pursuing high-freeform shape-reconfigurable capacities and high-resolution spatiotemporal programming strategies, which challenge multi-field sciences while offering new opportunities. Herein, this review summarizes the recent development of micro/nano 4D laser photochemical manufacturing, incorporating active materials and shape-programming strategies to provide an envisioning of these miniaturized 4D micro/nanorobots. A comparison with other chemical/physical fabricated micro/nanorobots further explains the advantages and potential usage of laser-synthesized micro/nanorobots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Tao
- Institute of Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Terahertz Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Postdoctoral Workstation, Zhejiang Chuangge Technology Co., Ltd., Zhuji 311899, China
| | - Liansheng Lin
- Institute of Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Terahertz Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xudong Ren
- Institute of Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Terahertz Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xuejiao Wang
- Institute of Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Terahertz Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xia Cao
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Heng Gu
- Institute of Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Terahertz Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yunxia Ye
- Institute of Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Terahertz Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yunpeng Ren
- Institute of Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Terahertz Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Zhiming Zhang
- Postdoctoral Workstation, Zhejiang Chuangge Technology Co., Ltd., Zhuji 311899, China
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Yun R, Che J, Liu Z, Yan X, Qi M. A novel electric stimulus-responsive micro-actuator for powerful biomimetic motions. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:12933-12943. [PMID: 37482766 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr01866k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Limited by the surface-to-volume ratio of structural materials, it is a great challenge to achieve high output performance in a millimetre-sized actuator. Traditional rigid actuators can achieve higher vibration frequencies above the centimetre size, but their working performance will be greatly reduced below the millimetre size, and even cannot maintain the vibration. A micro-actuator is highly essential for the miniaturisation of bionic robots. In this work, we present a novel driving principle by utilising the plasmonic thermal energy generated by electric stimulation to drive the vibration of the micro-actuator. In the design, the micro-actuator is composed of two chambers and elastic elements, which is similar to the design of a micro-piston. By utilising the thermal energy of the plasma, the actuator can generate high-frequency vibration (resonant frequency of 140 Hz), and the simple structural design can achieve a large vibration amplitude on a millimetre scale. Based on this powerful actuator, several applications are presented, such as fast crawling and jumping. The good performance of the electric stimulus-responsive micro-actuator suggests promising applications ranging from millimetre-scale robots in confined spaces to detection, search and rescue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruide Yun
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jingyu Che
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
| | - Zhiwei Liu
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
| | - Mingjing Qi
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
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Pan Y, Li C, Hou X, Yang Z, Li M, Shum HC. Pixelating Responsive Structural Color via a Bioinspired Morphable Concavity Array (MoCA) Composed of 2D Photonic Crystal Elastomer Actuators. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300347. [PMID: 36793100 PMCID: PMC10104634 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive structural coloration allows the color change of soft substrates in response to environmental stimuli such as heat, humidity, and solvents. Such color-changing systems enable smart soft devices, such as the camouflageable skin of soft robots or chromatic sensors in wearable devices. However, individually and independently programmable stimuli-responsive color pixels remain significant challenges among the existing color-changing soft materials and devices, which are crucial for dynamic display. Inspired by the dual-color concavities on butterfly wings, a morphable concavity array to pixelate the structural color of two-dimensional photonic crystal elastomer and achieve individually and independently addressable stimuli-responsive color pixels is designed. The morphable concavity can convert its surface between concave and flat upon changes in the solvent and temperature, accompanied by angle-dependent color-shifting. Through multichannel microfluidics, the color of each concavity can be controllably switched. Based on the system, the dynamic display by forming reversibly editable letters and patterns for anti-counterfeiting and encryption are demonstrated. It is believed that the strategy of pixelating optical properties through locally altering surface topography can inspire the design of new transformable optical devices, such as artificial compound eyes or crystalline lenses for biomimetic and robotic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Pan
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe University of Hong KongPokfulam RoadHong Kong999077P. R. China
| | - Chang Li
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe University of Hong KongPokfulam RoadHong Kong999077P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Hou
- Key Laboratory of Green PrintingInstitute of ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190P. R. China
| | - Zhenyu Yang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe University of Hong KongPokfulam RoadHong Kong999077P. R. China
| | - Mingzhu Li
- Key Laboratory of Green PrintingInstitute of ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190P. R. China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe University of Hong KongPokfulam RoadHong Kong999077P. R. China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation CentreHong Kong Science ParkNew Territories, ShatinHong Kong999077P. R. China
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Peeketi AR, Sol JAHP, Swaminathan N, Schenning APHJ, Debije MG, Annabattula RK. Calla Lily flower inspired morphing of flat films to conical tubes. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20220492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akhil R. Peeketi
- Center for Responsive Soft Matter, Department of Mechanical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai India
| | - Jeroen A. H. P. Sol
- Laboratory of Stimuli‐Responsive Functional Materials and Devices (SFD), Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Narasimhan Swaminathan
- Center for Responsive Soft Matter, Department of Mechanical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai India
| | - Albert P. H. J. Schenning
- Laboratory of Stimuli‐Responsive Functional Materials and Devices (SFD), Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS) Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Micheal G. Debije
- Laboratory of Stimuli‐Responsive Functional Materials and Devices (SFD), Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Ratna K. Annabattula
- Center for Responsive Soft Matter, Department of Mechanical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai India
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Pan Y, Yang Z, Li C, Hassan SU, Shum HC. Plant-inspired TransfOrigami microfluidics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo1719. [PMID: 35507654 PMCID: PMC9067916 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo1719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The healthy functioning of the plants' vasculature depends on their ability to respond to environmental changes. In contrast, synthetic microfluidic systems have rarely demonstrated this environmental responsiveness. Plants respond to environmental stimuli through nastic movement, which inspires us to introduce transformable microfluidics: By embedding stimuli-responsive materials, the microfluidic device can respond to temperature, humidity, and light irradiance. Furthermore, by designing a foldable geometry, these responsive movements can follow the preset origami transformation. We term this device TransfOrigami microfluidics (TOM) to highlight the close connection between its transformation and the origami structure. TOM can be used as an environmentally adaptive photomicroreactor. It senses the environmental stimuli and feeds them back positively into photosynthetic conversion through morphological transformation. The principle behind this morphable microsystem can potentially be extended to applications that require responsiveness between the environment and the devices, such as dynamic artificial vascular networks and shape-adaptive flexible electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Pan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhenyu Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chang Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sammer Ul Hassan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Corresponding author.
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