Extreme Mechanics Letters
·
2021
·
IF 4.567
Jingda Tang,Qianfeng Yin,Mengting Shi,Meng Yang,Hang Yang,Bonan Sun,Baolin Guo,Tiejun Wang
Recent advances in soft magnetic nanocomposites have enabled myriads of magnetic robots with programmable shape transformation, shedding light on various biomedical applications. However, the complex shape transformation of magnetic hydrogels remains a challenge because of their ultralow magnetization and simple geometry. Here we demonstrate an approach to meet this challenge by fabricating composite structures of magnetic hydrogels and elastomers with extrusion-based 3D printing. Under an alternating magnetic field, magneto-thermo-sensitive hydrogels — poly( N -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) embedding Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, can undergo abrupt volume collapse due to magnetothermal effect. The mismatch in the responsiveness of magnetic hydrogels and elastomers enables the shape transformation of the composite structure. We have printed magnetic hydrogels with various geometries and achieved complex shape transformation of the composite structure. The shape transformative structure can simultaneously encase and kill cancer cells (human malignant melanoma cells) through magnetic hyperthermia. ∼ 50% of cancer cells can be killed by the heated magnetic hydrogel during deformation. This approach may open opportunities for applications in medicine and bioengineering.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
材料科学
·
肿瘤学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Micro & Nano Letters
·
2021
·Vol. 16
·期 12
·582-590
·
IF 1.102
Runhuai Yang,Shilu Zhu,Lijiu Zhang,Fuzhou Niu,Shuang Liu
Soft untethered microswimmers have recently been demonstrated to be capable of transporting and delivering cargos by external control while maintaining biocompatibility and safety. However, such microswimmers still suffer from complex and inconvenient fabrication processes and control methods, which impedes their clinical translation. In this paper, an easy-to-fabricate, magnetic-driven and IR-induced shape transformative microswimmer is presented. This microswimmer can be fabricated in a fast, low-cost and high-throughput manner. Besides, the soft body of the microswimmer can provide an inherent friendly contact with the biological environment, and its components are biocompatible and biodegradable. Being magnetically-drivable allows the microswimmer to provide untethered movement and targeted therapy in the human body, and its IR-induced shape transformability enables penetrable regulation of the movement and function. Furthermore, the shape of the untethered microswimmer can be transformed due to its combination of low melting behaviours and multi-response materials, suggesting that other materials with similar properties can also be adopted in a similar method. The proposed method validates the feasibility to integrate polymers for fabricating magnetic-driven, infrared-responsive and shape transformative microswimmers.
研究领域:
医学工程
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2020
·
IF 8.758
Wenxin Fan,Jincai Yin,Chenglin Yi,Yanzhi Xia,Zhihong Nie,Kunyan Sui
The design of materials that can mimic encoded shape evolution in nature is important but challenging. Here we present a simple yet versatile strategy for programming the sequential deformation of hydrogel sheets to acquire desired actuation motions and geometric shapes. The method relies on the dual-gradient structure-enabled snapping deformation of hydrogels through the accumulation and burst release of elastic energy, as well as the patterning of the prestored energy in gels. Pretreating distinct regions of the hydrogel sheets with different durations of the same stimulus (or with different stimuli) allows for locally prestoring chemical energy that can be converted to temporospatially patterned elastic energy and abruptly released to drive the successive snapping of different regions of hydrogels in predefined onset sequences. The sequence of energy release (i.e., the sequence of snapping deformation) of the local regions for hydrogels can be reprogrammed by different local prestimulation methods, which allows one gel to deform into various defined geometric configurations. The general mathematic criteria are developed to predict the energy release and snapping of the hydrogels. This work can provide guidance for the design of new-generation actuators and soft robotics.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
软体机器人学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2025
·
IF 8.2
Yang Chen,Yuxiang Liu,Runze Yu,Yingshuai Zhao,Juntong Lu,Gang Chen,Yijun Zheng,Chunhong Ye
Polymer-based soft actuators capable of responsive shape morphing hold great potential for developing untethered soft robotics with dexterous motion under complex surroundings. To realize this potential, achieving fast, dynamically tunable shape morphing that can generate sufficient mechanical force is essential. Here, soft actuators composed of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) bilayer film are constructed via direct ink writing (DIW), which exhibit rapid and sequential 3D-to-3D́ morphological reconfiguration within seconds under temperature stimulus. The dynamic shape morphing is facilitated by the bidirectional bending of the LCE film, which possesses anisotropic mesogen orientation and distinct phase transition temperatures. By balancing the two LCE layers in terms of differential contraction, layer sequence, and two-dimensional (2D) geometry, its bending directions, amplitude, and sequence can be programmed, thus enabling diverse three-dimensional (3D) shape reconfigurations, such as biomimetic “orchid” blooming and “palm” gesture switching. Beyond shape morphing, the LCE actuator is capable of converting shape morphing into rotational kinetic energy in different directions. As a prototype, it generates sufficient torque to drive the rotation of an LCE rotor, exhibiting switchable clockwise, “self-oscillating”, and anticlockwise motions. With the merits of dynamic shape morphing and mechanical energy harvesting, the LCE actuator presents a promising platform for advancing soft robotics with adaptive and diverse locomotion for performing tasks in complex environments.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
软体机器人学
·
智能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Advanced Intelligent Systems
·
2021
·Vol. 4
·期 1
·2100139
·
IF 0
Bonan Sun,Rong Jia,Hang Yang,Xi Chen,Kai Tan,Qian Deng,Jingda Tang
Magnetically driven small-scale soft robots are promising for applications in biomedicine, due to their fast, programmable deformation, and remote, untethered actuation to accomplish complicated tasks. Although diverse materials and designs have been proposed for magnetic soft robots with programmable shape transformation, it is still challenging to produce strong actuation by a small magnetic field. Inspired by arthropod species, magnetic soft millirobots with joint structures by 3D printing hydrogels have been developed. The joints can turn the bending deformation into the folding deformation, with the jointed region deforming locally. Different from homogeneous bending deformation, such local deformation allows larger motions of robots and reduces the overall energy consumption at the same time. Through experiments and numerical simulations, it is shown that the magnetic arthropod millirobots are capable of performing multimodal locomotion and programmed shape transformation, such as move, flip, catch, carry, and release. Finally, ex vivo experiments of removing a foreign object from porcine organs (e.g., aorta, stomach, and intestine) are presented to demonstrate the potential surgery application of magnetic arthropod millirobots.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
机器人学
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 13.2
Shiyu Liu,Qiuyu Yang,Xiuxiu Wang,Jundong Wu,Yawu Wang,Hong Meng,Yifan He,Chensha Li
Creating soft cylindrical actuators that perform diverse programmable and controllable shape transformations upon the applied stimuli would enable wide applications in scientific and engineering areas. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are a prominent material in the development of soft cylindrical actuators due to their unique actuation properties, such as large, reversible and anisotropic deformability, versatile structural design, high processability and programmability, etc . Herein, we design and fabricate LCE soft cylindrical actuators based on a centrifugal process. Cylindrical LCE actuators with diverse three-dimensional geometries and spatial molecular orientation architectures were produced through this effective, readily accessible and facile fabrication platform, and exhibited multiple and sophisticated shape-morphing modes. By using the fabricated cylindrical LCE actuators, multi-functional untethered smart machines and soft robots were built, and demonstrated excellent walking, locomotion and maneuver performances.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
软体机器人技术
·
智能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2019
·
IF 8.456
Shuwei Wang,Guo Li,Zhaotie Liu,Zhongwen Liu,Jinqiang Jiang,Yue Zhao
Shape transformation of polymeric materials, including hydrogels, liquid crystalline, and semicrystalline polymers, can be realized by exposing the shape-changing materials to the effect of a variety of stimuli such as temperature, light, pH, and magnetic and electric fields. Herein, we demonstrate a novel and different approach that allows a flat sheet or strip of a polymer to transform into a predesigned 3D shape or structure by simply stretching the polymer at room temperature and then releasing it from the external stress, that is, a 2D-to-3D shape change is activated by mechanical deformation under ambient conditions. This particular type of stimuli-controlled shape-changing polymers is based on suppressing plastic deformation in selected regions of the flat polymer sheet prior to stretching and release. We validated the design principle by using a polymer blend composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and tannic acid (TA) whose plastic deformation can be locally inhibited by surface treatment using an aqueous solution of copper sulfate pentahydrate (Cu2+ ink) that cross-links PAA chains through a Cu2+–carboxylate coordination and, consequently, increases the material’s Young’s modulus and yield strength. After room temperature stretching and release, elastic deformation in the Cu2+ ink-treated regions leads to 3D shape transformation that is controlled by the patterned surface treatment. This facile and effective “stretch-and-release” approach widens the scope of preparation and application for shape-changing polymers.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
高分子化学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
RSC Advances
·
2024
·Vol. 14
·期 47
·34804-34810
·
IF 3.9
Hongyu Guo,Qiao Ding,Yang Yang,Chenguang Du,Zhihong Nie
We report here on dual shape transformations of the same thermo-responsive hybrid hydrogel sheet under irradiation of a laser with two different wavelengths (808 nm and 450 nm). By in situ etching the silver nanoprisms in the sheet to silver nanodiscs by using chloride ions (Cl−), two areas with distinct light extinction properties are integrated in a single sheet. The conversion of photon energy to thermal energy in local areas by the silver nanoprisms or nanodiscs under laser irradiation with an appropriate wavelength heats up the sheet locally and causes a local volumetric shrinkage, and hence a volumetric mismatch in different areas in the sheet. The sheet then transforms in a specific way to accommodate this volumetric mismatch. Different patterns of silver nanoprisms and nanodiscs in the sheet are achieved by controlling the delivery patterns of the etchant Cl−. We demonstrate that by designing the distribution pattern of silver nanoprisms and nanodiscs in the sheet, the same hybrid sheet transforms either to a saddle or to a helical twisted shape, while with another type of distribution pattern, it transforms either to a hoof-like or to a boat-like shape under the irradiation of a laser with a wavelength of either 808 nm or 450 nm. We point out that to program arbitrary curvature of the transformed shape of our sheet, the pattern size of silver nanoprisms and nanodiscs (i.e. actuation area) in the sheet needs to be largely reduced, which however limits the heat generated and hence the shape transformations. Factors that affect the sheet's shape transformations are discussed and solutions are suggested to enhance its performance. The hybrid sheet may find applications in soft robotics, for example, as a robotic finger.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
纳米技术
·
软体机器人
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
·
2024
·
IF 7.2
Kai Gou,Lei Wang,Minghui Wei,Jingtao Jiang,Gengsheng Weng
Morphing a two-dimensional (2D) plate into customized three-dimensional (3D) structures with complex curvatures is of great importance for developing the next generation of soft robotics, flexible devices, and sensors. Yet, the practical application of shape-morphing materials remains challenging due to the material’s inhomogeneous or discontinuous design. Herein, we demonstrate a biomorphogenesis-inspired paradigm that utilizes the ultraviolet mapping-based thickness gradient (UVM-TG) design for the shape transformation of bilayer-structured polymer sheets composed of a hydrogel layer and a hydrophobic polymer layer. The hydrophobic polymer layer as the passive layer is laser-engraved to create the thickness gradient distribution, which programs the dehydrative-shrinking-driven 3D shape transformation of the bilayer polymer sheets to deform into 3D structures with complex Gaussian curvatures, e.g., gourd and roadster. These 3D structures without uncontrollable surface buckling and wrinkles during those nonzero Gaussian curvature shape transformations exhibit reversible shaping/flattening switchability. Our UVM-TG design strategy, which does not require the inhomogeneous or discontinuous design of shape-morphing materials, establishes a facile strategy for fabricating shape-morphing materials.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物启发工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Science China-Technological Sciences
·
2023
·Vol. 66
·期 12
·3585-3595
·
IF 4.6
Tian GuangMing,Wang Bo,He XinHai,Wang Chen,Yang Dong,Ma JianHua
The spatially controllable shape-shifting behaviors of a planar two-dimensional (2D) film to three-dimensional (3D) shapes upon external stimuli are of paramount significance for the development of smart materials. Herein, the present work focuses on fabricating plain film whose shape can be remotely and spatially transformed into various 3D configurations via the formation of a laser-induced temperature gradient; when subjected to laser irradiation, the prestretched hybrid films exhibit out-of-plane bending behavior owing to anisotropic chain relaxation and strain energy release. On this basis, various sophisticated shape transformations can be achieved by site-specific irradiations of laser with a controllable magnitude. Meanwhile, shape morphing involving reversible bending transformations can also be realized by employing the laser on the corresponding opposite side of the hybrid films. Remarkably, under a 160 mW/cm 2 simulated sunlight illumination, the transformation of flat 2D film into 3D chiral actuators is driven by material anisotropy and geometrical heterogeneity of a bilayer strip design, and it yields right and left-handed helix, the morphologies of the helix shape can be precisely tailored by the strip angles and strain values.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
光学工程
·
智能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-12
·
IF 14.7
Guo Kexin,Yang Xuehan,Zhou Chao,Li Chuang
Environmentally adaptive hydrogels that are capable of reconfiguration in response to external stimuli have shown great potential toward bioinspired actuation and soft robotics. Previous efforts have focused mainly on either the sophisticated design of heterogeneously structured hydrogels or the complex manipulation of external stimuli, and achieving self-regulated reversal shape deformation in homogenous hydrogels under a constant stimulus has been challenging. Here, we report the molecular design of structurally homogenous hydrogels containing simultaneously two spiropyrans that exhibit self-regulated transient deformation reversal when subjected to constant illumination. The deformation reversal mechanism originates from the molecular sequential descending-ascending charge variation of two coexisting spiropyrans upon irradiation, resulting in a macroscale volumetric contraction-expansion of the hydrogels. Hydrogel film actuators were developed to display complex temporary bidirectional shape transformations and self-regulated reversal rolling under constant illumination. Our work represents an innovative strategy for programming complex shape transformations of homogeneous hydrogels using a single constant stimulus.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
软体机器人
·
高分子化学
·
生物力学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Materials Chemistry B
·
2019
·Vol. 7
·期 16
·2619-2625
·
IF 5.047
Peng Sun,Hua Zhang,Dan Xu,Zhenwu Wang,Liufang Wang,Guorong Gao,Gaffar Hossain,Jiangyu Wu,Rong Wang,Jun Fu
Intelligent hydrogels responsive to external stimuli have been widely studied due to their great potentials for applications in artificial muscles, soft robotics, sensors and actuators. However, the weak mechanical properties, narrow response range, and slow response speed of many responsive hydrogels have hindered practical applications. In this paper, tough multi-responsive hydrogels were synthesized by using vinyl-functionalized triblock copolymer micelles as macro-crosslinkers and N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylamide (AAm) or 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane-sulfonic acid (AMPS) as monomers. The P(NIPAM-co-AAm) hydrogels presented tensile strength of up to 1.6 MPa and compressive strength of up to 127 MPa and were tunable by changing their formulations. Moreover, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the thermosensitive hydrogels was manipulated in a wide range by changing the molar ratio of NIPAM to AAm. Responsive hydrogel bilayers were fabricated through a two-step synthesis. A second layer of P(DMAEMA-co-AMPS) was synthesized on the first P(NIPAM-co-AAm) layer to obtain a bilayer hydrogel, which was responsive to temperature, pH and ionic strength changes to undergo fast and reversible shape transformation in a few minutes. This kind of strong and tough multi-responsive hydrogel device has broad prospects in soft actuators.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
软体机器人
·
智能材料
✓ 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）