Polymers
·
2022
·Vol. 14
·期 24
·5454
·
IF 4.967
Qijun Wu,Chao Ma,Lian Chen,Ye Sun,Xianshuo Wei,Chunxin Ma,Hongliang Zhao,Xiuling Yang,Xiaofan Ma,Chunmei Zhang,Gaigai Duan
Stimulus-responsive hydrogels are an important member of smart materials owing to their reversibility, soft/wet properties, and biocompatibility, which have a wide range of applications in the field of intelligent actuations. However, poor mechanical property and complicated fabrication process limit their further applications. Herein, we report a light-responsive tissue paper/hydrogel composite actuator which was developed by combining inkjet-printed tissue paper with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel through simple in situ polymerization. Due to the high strength of natural tissue paper and the strong interaction within the interface of the bilayer structure, the mechanical property of the composite actuator was highly enhanced, reaching 1.2 MPa of tensile strength. Furthermore, the light-responsive actuation of remote manipulation can be achieved because of the stamping graphite with high efficiency of photothermal conversion. Most importantly, we also made a few remotely controlled biomimetic actuating devices based on the near-infrared (NIR) light response of this composite actuator. This work provides a simple strategy for the construction of biomimetic anisotropic actuators and will inspire the exploration of new intelligent materials.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物医学工程
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Journal of Materials Chemistry C
·
2018
·Vol. 6
·期 24
·6416-6422
·
IF 5.976
Taoping Wang,Mingtong Li,Hui Zhang,Yunyu Sun,Bin Dong
Smart actuators have recently been widely studied due to their potential applications in the fields of wearable devices, artificial muscles and microrobots. However, it is still challenging to develop smart actuators with a fast response time, large deformation, multi-stimuli response ability and programmable shape-changing capability. Here, we report a novel smart actuator, which consists of polypyrrole and agar. Due to the water absorbing ability, the photothermal effect and the protonation behavior originating from polypyrrole and agar, the resulting actuator is responsive to a variety of stimuli, including humidity, light, temperature, HCl and NH3 gas. In addition, the actuator exhibits fast responsiveness, controllable actuation and large bending. Interestingly, two external stimuli can be combined to activate the actuator, leading to continuous shape changes in a programmable fashion. Multi-stimuli responsive actuators have opened up great opportunities in a variety of applications. As a proof-of-concept, we have demonstrated their application as a walking device with cargo transportation and delivery capabilities.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
仿生学
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
NPG Asia Materials
·
2022
·Vol. 14
·期 1
·1-9
·
IF 10.761
Xiong Fangyihan,Zhang Liyun,Xu Lei,Zhao Huan,Lan Jianyang,Ji Chenhao,Chen Linfeng,Xia Fan
Directed transport of a small amount of water is a basic issue and has attracted extensive attention due to its importance in a wide range of applications, such as water collection, microfluidics, printing, bioanalysis, and microchemical reactions. Various strategies based on constructing a surface tension gradient or Laplace pressure gradient have been developed to realize directional water transport. Typically, electrostatic forces and magnetic fields are utilized to achieve high-speed water transport on open superhydrophobic surfaces. However, these methods suffer from water evaporation or contamination. Here, we report a magnetic superhydrophobic tubular PDMS actuator for directional water transport. The actuator deformed under an applied external magnetic field and actuated the water droplet to transport along the moving direction of the magnet. The water transport velocity reached 16.1 cm/s. In addition, as the inner surface of the actuator is superhydrophobic, the water droplet showed weak interactions with the surface and presented negligible mass loss during the transport process. The results of this work may inspire new design of actuators for directional water transport with high speeds.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
流体力学
·
生物工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
LAB ON A CHIP
·
2024
·Vol. 24
·期 17
·4073-4084
·
IF 6.1
Shiyu Wang,Shucong Li,Wenchang Zhao,Ying Zhou,Liqiu Wang,Joanna Aizenberg,Pingan Zhu
Microactuators, capable of executing tasks typically repetitive, hazardous, or impossible for humans, hold great promise across fields such as precision medicine, environmental remediation, and swarm intelligence. However, intricate motions of microactuators normally require high complexity in design, making it increasingly challenging to realize at small scales using existing fabrication techniques. Taking inspiration from the hierarchical-anisotropy principle found in nature, we program liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) microactuators with multimodal actuation tailored to their molecular, shape, and architectural anisotropies at (sub)nanometer, micrometer, and (sub)millimeter scales, respectively. Our strategy enables diverse deformations with individual LCE microstructures, including expanding, contracting, twisting, bending, and unwinding, as well as re-programmable shape transformations of assembled LCE architectures with negative Poisson's ratios, locally adjustable actuation, and changing from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) structures. Furthermore, we design tetrahedral microactuators with well-controlled mobility and precise manipulation of both solids and liquids in various environments. This study provides a paradigm shift in the development of microactuators, unlocking a vast array of complexities achievable through manipulation at each hierarchical level of anisotropy.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
机器人学
·
微工程
·
生物医学工程
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Micromachines
·
2021
·Vol. 12
·期 9
·1016
·
IF 2.891
Zhou Zhou,Manman Xu,Chenlin Zhu,Gonghan He,Kunpeng Zhang,Daoheng Sun
A control chip with a multistage flow-rate regulation function based on the correlation between the flow resistance and flow rate has been developed in this article. Compared with the traditional proportional solenoid valve, this kind of flow valve based on microfluidic technology has the characteristics of being light-weight and having no electric drive. It solves such technical problems as how the current digital microfluidic chip can only adjust the flow switch, and the adjustment of the flow rate is difficult. To linearize the output signal, we propose a design method of weighted resistance. The output flow is controlled by a 4-bit binary pressure signal. According to the binary value of the 4-bit pressure signal at the input, the output can achieve 16-stage flow adjustment. Furthermore, we integrate the three-dimensional flow resistance network, multilayer structure microvalve, and parallel fluid network into a single chip by using 3D printing to obtain a modular flow control unit. This structure enables the microflow control signal to be converted from a digital signal to an analogue signal (DA conversion), and is suitable for microflow driving components, such as in microfluidic chip sampling systems and proportional mixing systems. In the future, we expect this device to even be used in the automatic control system of a miniature pneumatic soft actuator.Keywords:microfluidic;soft robotics;hydraulic actuators;analog circuits
研究领域:
微流体技术
·
机器人学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2023
·
IF 9.5
Xianshuo Wei,Qijun Wu,Lian Chen,Ye Sun,Lin Chen,Chunmei Zhang,Shanshan Li,Chunxin Ma,Shaohua Jiang
As a kind of soft smart material, hydrogel actuators have extensive development prospects, but it is still difficult for these actuators to integrate multiresponsiveness, multiple remote actuation, high strength, fast responsiveness, and programmable complex deformation. Herein, we have explored an anisotropic bilayer hydrogel actuator with an Fe3O4/co-poly(isopropylacrylamide-4-benzoylphenyl acrylate) [Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-ABP)] active layer and an isotropic conductive adhesive (ICAs) passive layer based on the layer-by-layer method. Benefiting from the fibrosis and porosity of the Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-ABP) hydrogel, the ICAs-Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-ABP) hydrogel actuator has excellent mechanical strength (tensile strength of 3.1 ± 0.3 MPa) and response speed (temperature (45 °C): bending speed of 2400.3°/s; near-infrared (NIR) light: bending speed of 356.4°/s; electricity (2 V): bending speed of 180°/s; water (10 °C): recovery speed of 30.0°/s). In addition, the good photothermal properties and magnetic conductivity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles provide precise remotely controllable light- and magnetic-actuated properties for the hydrogel actuator. The Ag microsheets with excellent conductivity (1.4 × 104 S/cm) provide remotely controllable electrical-actuated property for the hydrogel actuator. Combined with the responsiveness of P(NIPAM-ABP), the actuator can achieve short-range actuation including temperature-, ethanol-, and salt-responses. More importantly, it can achieve remote actuation including light, electrical, and magnetic responses. Finally, the Fe3O4/P(NIPAM-ABP) fibers can provide excellent anisotropic structures for the actuator to achieve precise deformational programmability. Inspired by some phenomena in nature, several actuating devices with the above characteristics have been successfully developed. This study can provide a general method for multifunctional anisotropic hydrogel actuators and will provide a new strategy for exploring smart materials suitable for complex bioinspired systems.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物仿生学
·
智能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
·
2025
·
IF 4.7
Kehui Xiang,Hanxin Jian,Zexin Liu,Yunpeng Yang,Hao Huang,Shuguang Yang
Actuating fibers are characterized by their flexibility and capacity for further knitting and weaving. They exhibit rapid stimuli response, satisfying diverse practical applications. The pH-actuating fibers are typically prepared from weak negative polyelectrolytes, contracting in acid and extending in alkali, while weak positive polyelectrolytes can be used to construct fibers with inverse pH-actuating behaviors. Herein, we fabricate an “alkaline contraction and acid extension” actuating fiber, utilizing the biobased weak positive polyelectrolyte chitosan (CHI). To address the issues of CHI fiber dissolution at low pH values and its inherent brittleness, covalent cross-linking and toughening are introduced to produce the actuating fiber. The fiber performs work in response to pH variations with a maximum output strain of 62%, work density of 20 kJ/m3, and modulus of 215 MPa, which are all higher than those of human skeletal muscle, and can be assembled into devices with other kinds of fiber actuators to perform complex motions, holding a promising role in soft robots and biomedicines.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物医学工程
·
化学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
·
2024
·Vol. 62
·期 15
·3346-3359
·
IF 3.9
Xiaohui Wang,Yarui Hou,Yiyuan Fan,Zeqi Liu,Ran Li,Xiaojun Li,Bin Yang,Qingye Liu
Soft tissues, such as muscle could autonomously grow through re-alignment and/or -combination of collagen nanofibrils upon the mechanical training. This adaptive capability is highly expected in artificial materials, particularly in hydrogel actuator. In order to avoid the failure for devices by suffering from the accumulated mechanical loading, in this work, a double layered thermo-responsive hydrogel actuator capable of self-strengthening was successfully prepared. In the bilayer, PVA nanocrystals with different particle sizes were uniformly distributed in each monolayer matrix, giving rise to the asymmetric structure and the resultant differentiated de-swelling behaviors. Thus, the obtained hydrogel actuator with the semi-interpenetrating network of P(NIPAM-co-NMA) can display diverse programmable transformations by varying the temperatures. The existence of PVA nanocrystals in both layers not only can enhance the mechanical strength, dramatically minimizing the collapse of hydrogel actuator in service due to the imbalance of the mechanical properties for bilayer structure, but also was greatly involved in the self-reinforcing behavior. After repetitive tensile training with 80% strain, the tensile strength and fracture strain increased from 29.6 to 45.8 kPa and 95% to 104%, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the anisotropic orientation and strain-induced-crystallization for PVA crystalline domains readily occurred along the tensile direction, finally leading to the synchronous enhancement in mechanical strength for both layers. This work provides a new strategy for designing smart and robust biomimetic hydrogel systems that can be further used as the intelligent soft robotics in various fields. Graphical
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物仿生学
·
软体机器人
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 13.2
Zhenhua He,Saihua Jiang,Jianji Wang,Nour F. Attia,Dai Kang,Gang Zhou,Shu Xiao
Human sweat glands can response to hot environment and autonomously discharge perspiration, taking away heat through evaporation. This biological feedback can affect the external stimuli, that is, reduce skin temperature. Inspired by the sweat gland, a skin actuator based on liquid crystal elastomer was fabricated. Benefit by the inherent properties of LCE, the actuator has the advantages of fast response and autonomous response without electronics. The actuator is obtained by direct ink writing printing of LCE ink. The actuation performance of LCE filament is optimized by adjusting printing parameters. The printing path is designed to achieve complex actuating deformation of LCE actuator. Two printed LCE components are assembled to obtain LCE chamber actuator. The influence of LCE chamber actuator with different shapes on the discharging capability is characterized. Array the LCE chamber actuators to obtain LCE skin actuator which can respond to overheating and locally discharge liquid to control the surrounding temperature. Benefit from the advantages of LCE and the structural design, the skin actuator can realize temperature control, which can maintain its surrounding temperature about 10 ℃ below the heating temperature. This work demonstrates the new opportunities for applications in temperature monitoring and local overheating protection.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
仿生学
·
智能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Journal of Materials Chemistry C
·
2020
·Vol. 8
·期 42
·14826-14833
·
IF 7.059
Sijia Ren,Jiachun Feng
Water-responsive actuators have been of increasing interest in various applications. In this work, water-responsive actuators based on the bilayer composite film were prepared using commercialized PVA and SBS by a two-step solution casting method. In order to improve the adhesion between the PVA layer and SBS layer, SBS was firstly epoxidized to improve the polarity. Immediately after a thin film was formed on the surface of the epoxidized-SBS (E-SBS)/tetrahydrofuran solution, the PVA aqueous solution was poured onto the film and dried. It was found that the adhesive property between the two layers was improved and the adhesion strength reached 1005 kPa. The resultant bilayer film displayed the water-responsive two-way shape memory effect and exhibited excellent cyclic performance in five cycles. Flower-like and claw-like actuators based on the bilayer composite film were prepared and the actuation performance was demonstrated, suggesting their potential for applications in the fields of biomedicine and sensors.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物医学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nano Energy
·
2022
·
IF 19.069
Yiding Zhong,Wei Tang,Chao Zhang,Zhongdong Jiao,Dongming Wu,Weiting Liu,Huayong Yang,Jun Zou
Soft robots have unique advantages in the fields including human-machine interaction and bionics, yet there remain persistent challenges in developing multifunctional, programmable, and high-performance soft actuators. Here, we introduce a class of programmable thermochromic soft actuators (PTSAs) through liquid–vapor phase transitions, which can deform greatly through extreme volume change accompanying reversible liquid-vapor phase transition of embedded low boiling point fluid, and change several colors through reversible reactions of embedded thermochromic microcapsules. Using a "two dimensional" architecture, the initial shape and deformation type of the actuator with three different modes can be easily programmed. Respond to multiple stimuli, PTSAs have a variety of optional actuating methods including external heating, Joule heating, magnetic induction heating, and magnetic actuating. The suitable operating temperature and stretchability allows PTSAs to be used in wearable devices . Using PTSAs, a range of applications including color-shifting curly biomimetic maple leaves, color-shifting twisting biomimetic vines, zero-power holding and visually temperature sensing soft grippers, untethered magnetically actuated camouflage soft robots, and blood pressure sensing wristband are demonstrated, illustrating their broad prospects for applications in soft robotics, wearable devices, camouflage, and bionics.
研究领域:
软体机器人
·
材料科学
·
仿生学
·
可穿戴设备
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Functional Materials Letters
·
2023
·
IF 1.3
Jiaxin Li,Ruofei Wang,Diqing Ruan,Huaping Wu,Lin Cheng,Aiping Liu
Responsive hydrogels based on Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) are known to exhibit distinctive thermosensitive properties. However, isotropic PNIPAM hydrogels with weak mechanical properties and low deformation rates tend to exhibit only regular volume expansion/contraction, which limits them to promising applications such as intelligent actuators. In order to prepare programmable hydrogel actuators with satisfactory mechanical properties and fast deformation capability, a polyvinyl alcohol/PNIPAM (PVA/PNIPAM) bilayer hydrogel with anisotropic structure is proposed by combining preprepared PVA polymer film with outstanding mechanical properties as the passive layer and thermosensitive PNIPAM hydrogel as the active layer, forming a semi-interpenetrating network structure at the interface via the hydrogen-bond interaction between PNIPAM and PVA. The microstructures, mechanical properties and actuation behaviors of bilayer hydrogel were studied by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrograph, mechanical testing machine and actuation test device. Results show that the introduction of PVA can improve the tensile stress of the bilayer hydrogel from 23.6 kPa to 62.6 kPa, and favor the hydrogel actuator excellent actuation preformation with a maximum bending amplitude of 500° and a maximum bending velocity of 13°/s within first 40 s. The bilayer hydrogel is further designed to work as a fluidic system valve that can recognize various temperature solutions and control solution flow rate. This design provides a simple and practical strategy to construct responsive hydrogels with anisotropic structure for further development in the field of intelligent actuators and flexible microfluidic systems.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物工程
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）