ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2023
·
IF 9.5
Yahao Liu,Yuansheng Wang,Xue Yang,Wei Huang,Yu Zhang,Xiao Zhang,Xuan Wang
Stiffness variable polymers are an essential family of materials that have aroused considerable attention in soft actuators. Although lots of strategies have been proposed to achieve variable stiffness, it remains a formidable challenge to achieve a polymer with a wide stiffness range and fast stiffness change. Herein, a series of variable stiffness polymers with a fast stiffness change and wide stiffness range were successfully synthesized, and the formulas were optimized via Pearson correlation tests. The rigid/soft stiffness ratio of the designed polymer samples can reach up to 1376-folds. Impressively, owing to the phase-changing side chains, the narrow endothermic peak can be observed with full width at half-maximum within 5 °C. Moreover, the shape memory properties of the shape fixity (Rf) and shape recovery ratio (Rr) values of the shape memory properties could reach up to 99.3 and 99.2%, respectively. Then, the obtained polymer was introduced into a kind of designed 3D printing soft actuator. The soft actuator can achieve sharp heating–cooling cycle of 19 s under a 1.2 A current with 4 °C water as coolant and can lift a 200 g weight at the actuating state. Moreover, the stiffness of the soft actuator can reach up to 718 mN/mm. The soft actuator exhibits an outstanding actuate behavior and stiffness switchable capability. We expect our design strategy and obtained variable stiffness polymers to be potentially applied in soft actuators and other devices.
研究领域:
材料科学
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软体机器人学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Materials Horizons
·
2022
·Vol. 10
·期 3
·908-917
·
IF 15.717
Hong-Qin Wang,Zi-Yang Huang,De-Wei Yue,Fang-Zhou Wang,Cheng-Hui Li
Pneumatic-powered actuators are receiving increasing attention due to their widespread applications. However, their inherent low stiffness makes them incompetent in tasks requiring high load capacity or high force output. On the other hand, soft pneumatic actuators are susceptible to damage caused by over-pressuring or punctures by sharp objects. In this work, we designed and synthesized a coordination adaptable network (PETMP-AIM-Cu) with high mechanical rigidity (Young's modulus of 1.9 GPa and elongation <2% before fracturing) as well as excellent variable stiffness property (soft-rigid switching ability σ as high as 3 268 000 when ΔT = 90 °C). Combining PETMP-AIM-Cu with a self-healing elastomer based on dynamic disulfide bonds (LP-PDMS), we fabricated a new pneumatic actuator which shows high load capacity at room temperature, but can also easily deform upon heating and thus can be actuated pneumatically. Benefiting from the excellent self-healing ability of PETMP-AIM-Cu and LP-PDMS, the entire pneumatic actuator can still be actuated after being cut and healed. Such a variable-stiffness and healable pneumatic actuator would be useful for complex environmental applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
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机器人学
·
机械工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Cell Reports Physical Science
·
2024
·
IF 7.9
Hong-Qin Wang,Bu-Yun Yu,Zi-Yang Huang,Fang-Zhou Wang,Lu Ju,Zhi-Da Xiao,Jun-Lin Zhan,Hao Chen,Zhen-Guo Liu,Wei-Bing Lu,Cheng-Hui Li
Radio-frequency (RF) devices are an indispensable component in wireless communication systems. Developing high-strength, cost-effective RF devices with good performance on irregular surfaces is very important but remains highly challenging. Here, we report a dynamic variable-stiffness polymer with high mechanical strength, shape-memory behavior, and recyclability by introducing multiple dynamic cross-linking interactions (coordination bonds, dipole-dipole interactions, and chain entanglements). Leveraging the unique characteristics of the polymer, we fabricate several shape-adaptive RF devices and a backscatter communication system through the ultra-low-cost planar manufacturing process. These RF components can be fitted to various irregular surfaces when heated and retain their shape with high mechanical strength after cooling. In addition to simultaneously offering mechanical robustness and conformal capability, these devices possess high electromagnetic performance as well as self-healing and recyclable properties. We believe that such shape-adaptive RF devices hold great potential in robots, intelligent aircraft, wearable electronic systems, and more.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
无线通信
·
电子工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Electronic Materials
·
2024
·
IF 4.3
Peihua Xu,Lida Zhu,Baoquan Chang
Endowing variable-stiffness soft robots (VSSRs) with sensing capabilities will help to improve their safe interaction capabilities and intelligence. Therefore, this work adopts direct ink writing (DIW) to directly fabricate functional soft components of the VSSR, including heating and sensing. To improve the printing accuracy of DIW, the liquid metal (LM)/sodium alginate (SA) composite ink was prepared by sonicating LM in a SA aqueous solution and centrifuging. Functional soft components were printed on the bottom and top of the soft robot with LM/SA ink by DIW and were used to achieve low-voltage (as low as 1.5 V) Joule heating and to sense the bending deformation of the soft robot with a low response time (about 80 ms), respectively. Then, the photoabsorber Sudan I (0.02 wt %) was added to the commercial photosensitive resin to improve the precision of digital light processing for manufacturing the soft robot body. Through control of the flexible heating circuit to realize the solid–liquid transition of the low-melting-point alloy (47 °C), the stiffness of the soft robot can be changed. This work has great prospects for the design and manufacture of a VSSR with integrated sensing capability.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
机器人学
·
智能系统
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）