iScience
·
2024
·
IF 4.6
Zijia Chen,Xiaoning Han,Bo Che,Huiping Feng,Yue Zhou,Linhong Deng,Xiang Wang
Soft tissues experience strain under mechanical stresses, storing energy as residual stresses and strain energy. However, the specific impact of such strain on cell migration and its molecular mechanisms remains unclear. In this study, we investigated this by using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes with varying prestrain levels but constant stiffness to mimic tissue-like conditions. Results showed that higher prestrain levels enhanced 3T3 fibroblast adhesion and reduced filopodia formation. Elevated prestrain also increased integrin and vinculin expression, which was associated with lower cell migration rates. Notably, both 3T3 fibroblasts and primary rat airway smooth muscle cells migrated faster toward higher prestrain areas on substrates with strain gradients. Knockdown of integrin or vinculin inhibited 3T3 cell migration directionality, highlighting their critical role. This research reveals a mechanobiological pathway where strain gradients direct cell migration, providing insight into a common mechanotransduction pathway influencing cellular responses to both stiffness and strain-related mechanical cues.
研究领域:
细胞生物学
·
生物力学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Industrial Chemistry & Materials
·
2023
·
IF 0
Jun Han,Wenrou Tian,Ye Miao,Najun Li,Dongyun Chen,Qingfeng Xu,Hua Li,Jianmei Lu
Coupling the effects of flexoelectricity with piezoelectricity has been proved to effectively harvest mechanical energy. In this study, a composition-graded core–shell structure (HAP@FAP) was prepared by surface-gradient F-doping in hydroxyapatite, which could introduce flexoelectricity by a built-in strain gradient. A flexoelectric-boosted piezoelectric response was demonstrated by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) characterization, showing that the piezoelectric constant of HAP@FAP was increased by 2.25 times via a lattice strain gradient induced by chemical heterogeneities derived from the unique composition-graded core–shell structure. Thus, the piezocatalytic activity of HAP@FAP for phenanthrene (PHE) degradation in soil was enhanced. This work provides a new strategy for the modification of piezoelectric catalysts for the remediation of organics-contaminated soils on industrial land.
研究领域:
材料科学
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环境科学
·
物理化学
✓ 已验证
DOI
Nano Research
·
2020
·Vol. 13
·期 10
·2641-2649
·
IF 8.183
Huang Jingbo,Yan Yucong,Li Xiao,Qiao Xurong,Wu Xingqiao,Li Junjie,Shen Rong,Yang Deren,Zhang Hui
Nanoscale Kirkendall effect has been widely used for rationally fabricating high-quality hollow nanocrystals, but often requires the intrinsic diffusion coefficient of out-diffusion materials higher than that of in-diffusion components. Here we demonstrate an unexpected Kirkendall effect that occurs in diffusing intrinsically faster Cu atoms into Pd icosahedra, leading to the formation of PdCu alloyed hollow nanocrystals. The control experiment with Pd octahedra replacing icosahedra indicates the critical role of twin boundaries in facilitating such unexpected Kirkendall effect. In addition, geometric phase analysis and density functional theory calculation show that out-diffusion of Pd atoms in the icosahedra is faster than in-diffusion of Cu atoms, particularly through the twin boundaries, upon the strain gradient with an inward distribution from tensile to compressive strains. The unexpected Kirkendall effect is also found in the interdiffusion of Ag and Pd atoms in Pd icosahedra. Our finds break the limitation of the intrinsic diffusion coefficient for the synthesis of hollow nanocrystals through Kirkendall effect and are expected to enormously enrich the family of hollow nanocrystals which have shown great potential in broad areas, such as fine chemical production, energy storage and conversion, and environmental protection. This work also provides a deep understanding in the diffusion behavior of atoms upon the strain gradient.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
纳米技术
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理论计算
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
·
2025
·Vol. 51
·期 18
·25063-25068
·
IF 5.6
Limei Hou,Weihao Zhai,Yingfei Xin,Yating Zhuang,Chongyang Fu,Shanmei Du,Jin Wang,Xiaoxiong Wang
Flexoelectric effect refers to the phenomenon of electric polarization under the action of material deformation gradient . When the material is strained, the local strain gradient will cause the electric dipole moment to rearrange , thereby generating an electric field in the material. Different from the piezoelectric effect , the flexoelectric effect is not limited by the symmetry of materials. Furthermore, the flexoelectric effect exhibits a significant size effect , allowing for huge flexoelectric signals to be obtained in nanoscale systems. Therefore, the flexoelectric effect has a wider application prospect and development space. There are differences in the number dimension between the flexoelectric coefficient and the piezoelectric coefficient , but both flexoelectric and piezoelectric effects result in the induction of electric dipole moments. In analogy to the piezoelectric effect, the polarization intensity may influence the flexoelectric coefficient. In this study, we selected the typical piezoelectric material barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) and employed the forward/reverse and continuous polarization method to regulate the dipole moment arrangement. We measured the piezoelectric-like effect and flexoelectric-like effect under different polarization voltages with using a quasi-static d 33 measuring instrument and a two-step dot-loop method. The results confirmed that the polarization process intrinsically enhances the flexoelectric coefficient. At a polarization voltage of 600 V, the flexoelectric-like coefficient reached 180 pC/N, which is more than twenty times stronger than that of the non-polarized sample (7 pC/N). This study provides a simple and feasible idea for the enhancement of macroscopic flexoelectric coefficients.
研究领域:
材料科学
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凝聚态物理
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功能材料
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纳米力学
·
介电物理
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nano Energy
·
2025
·
IF 17.1
Xinyi Hu,Guan Yu Chen,Liguo Chen,Yange Luan,Li Li,Junya Huang,Yinfen Cheng,Xiao Sun,Tao Tang,Yi Liang,Jinghao Zhuang,Haibo Huang,Mingsheng Ma,Zhifu Liu,Jian Zhen Ou
Photovoltaic effects in two-dimensional (2D) materials leverage atomic-scale quantum phenomena, enabling ultrathin energy-converting architectures beyond the limits of conventional semiconductors. The strong in-plane bonding combined with the interlayer van der Waals interactions in 2D metal-oxide semiconductors facilitates enhanced strain gradients for generating flexoelectric polarization. The polarization-induced built-in electric field further modulates the metal-semiconductor Schottky barrier, thereby controlling the material's photoresponse performances. Leveraging this mechanism, we synthesized single-crystalline 2D MoO 3 via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) confirmed its robust flexoelectric properties, while conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) induced large strain gradients to enhance photovoltaic response. This work establishes a pathway for flexoelectricity-driven photovoltaic control and performance augmentation in monolithic materials.
研究领域:
凝聚态物理
·
纳米能源材料
·
半导体器件物理
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表面与界面科学
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功能材料学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nano Research
·
2023
·Vol. 17
·期 3
·1173-1181
·
IF 9.9
Liu Kang,Wu Tong,Xu Luying,Zhang Zhuangzhuang,Liu Zhiyu,Wang Longfei,Wang Zhong Lin
The separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs is vitally important for photocatalysis, which can be effectively promoted by polarization field. However, it only manifests in piezoelectric/pyroelectric/ferroelectric materials that have a non-centrosymmetric structure. Here, we demonstrate that the polarization enhanced photocatalysis (with wide spectra from ultraviolet (UV) light to visible light) can be achieved in centrosymmetric semiconductors, such as δ-MnO 2 and TiO 2 nanosheets integrated nanoflowers, by using the strain-gradient-induced flexoelectric polarization that is always overlooked in polarization-enhanced catalysis. Under ultrasonic and illumination excitation, the organic pollutants (methylene blue (MB), etc.) can be effectively degraded within 30 min with excellent stability and repeatability. Compared with photocatalysis, the flexo-photocatalytic performance of above centrosymmetric semiconductors is substantially increased by 85%. Moreover, the factors related to flexo-photocatalysis such as material morphology, mechanical stimuli source, and adsorption are explored to deeply understand the mechanism of flexo-photocatalysis. This work opens up a way for high-performance photocatalysis in centrosymmetric semiconductors.
研究领域:
光催化
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材料科学
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半导体物理
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纳米技术
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环境科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
·
2025
·
IF 19
Yuchuan Wang,Di Pang,Ying He,Honglin Li,Yan Tang,Lijuan Ye,Hong Zhang,Wanjun Li
Multi-stimulus-responsive actuators demonstrate significant potential in the fields of bionic robots, flexible electronics, and smart sensing. However, their practical applications have been hindered by inadequate environmental stability, limited response modes, and insufficient mechanical durability. This study designs an MXene&PVA/CNT&PVA (MP/CP) bilayer film actuator that achieves high-performance multi-field-coupled actuation through interfacial chemistry modulation and dynamic strain gradient synergy. The actuator demonstrates fast and multimodal responsiveness, achieving a bending deformation of 516° within 0.5 s (with full recovery in 1 s) at 90% relative humidity (RH), reaching an even larger bending angle of 1128° under near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation (200 mW cm − 2 ), while simultaneously exhibiting distinct sensitivity to polar solvents, and maintains exceptional environmental stability and cycling endurance. Capitalizing on these advantages, the MP/CP film enables precise control of smart switches, adaptive curtain operation, and biomimetic motions such as robotic locomotion and butterfly-like multimodal flapping through sequential stimulus regulation. This work provides novel insights for developing multifunctional smart actuators, with broad application prospects in adaptive soft robotics and environmental interactive systems.
研究领域:
软体机器人
·
材料科学
·
智能材料
·
仿生学
·
柔性电子学
·
环境传感
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2022
·
IF 10.383
Meng Wang,Kai Wang,Chao Ma,Pierre Claver Uzabakiriho,Xi Chen,Gang Zhao
Stretchable electronics play a pivotal role in the age of information and intelligence. Integrated circuit components are an integral part of high-performance and multifunctional stretchable electronic devices. Therefore, it is an ideal design concept for stretchable electronic devices to not only ensure the reliability of the connection between rigid inorganic electronic components and stretchable circuits but also maintain the stretchability of the device. In this work, we constructed a mechanical gradient strategy to fabricate high-performance stretchable electronic devices. Briefly, polyvinyl alcohol glue is used to fix integrated circuits on stretchable circuits, which are fabricated by printing liquid metal on a thermoplastic polyurethane nanofiber membrane. The strategy of integrated circuits (rigid)-polyvinyl alcohol glue (high elastic modulus)-thermoplastic polyurethane nanofiber membrane (low elastic modulus)-liquid metal (liquid) realizes the strain gradient during the stretching process of the device, thus ensuring the stability and reliability. Moreover, we explored the mechanism through experiments and finite element analysis. The flexible electronic devices fabricated by this scheme are not only ultra-stretchable (900%) but also have good stability and comfort. As proof, the application in stretchable sensors, human-computer interaction devices, and displays was realized.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
电子工程
·
纳米技术
·
机械工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）