MACROMOLECULES
·
2024
·
IF 5.1
Erqiang Du,Mengke Li,Binbin Xu,Yingxin Zhang,Zibiao Li,Xiaohui Yu,Xiaoshan Fan
Multifunctional bottlebrush polymer supersoft materials are highly desirable for the development of next-generation flexible electronic devices. Herein, we report a facile strategy for the fabrication of bottlebrush polymer supersoft materials integrated with self-healing and adhesive functionalities. These are achieved by the first fabrication of the bottlebrush poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) via combining atom transfer radical polymerization with ring-opening metathesis polymerization and subsequent formation of dynamically cross-linked networks via “click” thiol-bromo reaction between Br end groups of PnBA side chains and dithiol-containing boronic ester cross-linker. Owing to the unique architecture and the reversible boron ester bonds, the unique bottlebrush architecture and fast bond-reforming kinetics of boron ester bonds impart the resultant materials with supersoftness with a shear modulus as low as 5 kPa and high self-healing efficiency over 90%. Moreover, owing to the extremely low glass transition temperature of PnBA segments, they also display strong adhesiveness to many substrates. The as-prepared strain sensors show an excellent ability to detect a large range of strains from an ultralow strain of 0.1% to a large strain of 100%. This work has provided a facile and promising approach to the development of multifunctional supersoft materials, which hold great potential as functional sensors for flexible electronics.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
化学工程
·
柔性电子学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
·
2025
·
IF 12.5
Lina Wang,Wenna Chen,Hai Li,Xinye Xu,Zhilin Zhang,Lidong Wu,Jingkun Xu,Yao Huang,Baoyang Lu
Plant strain sensors, which enable real-time monitoring of plant growth, play a crucial role in improving both the quality and yield of various plants. However, current plant strain sensors often exhibit significant mechanical mismatches and poor interfacial compatibility with plant tissues, leading to inaccurate and unstable in situ monitoring. Herein, we present a novel ultrasoft, anti-dehydrated, and highly stretchable organohydrogel (UASOH) strain sensor composed of polyacrylamide (PAM) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) via a glycerol-induced hydrogen bonding enhancement strategy. The resultant UASOH exhibits low Young's modulus (18 kPa), exceptional stretchability (1448 %), and outstanding water retention capacity (maintaining 82 % water content after 50 days), enabling seamless contact and reliable long-term monitoring of living plants. The UASOH-based strain sensor features an ultra-wide stretchability range (0–900 %), and high sensitivity (gauge factor of 6.18), demonstrating state-of-the-art performance compared with previous reports. We further integrate the as-prepared sensor with a Bluetooth module to develop a wireless sensing system for non-invasive in situ plant growth monitoring under both ideal and abiotic stress conditions. Such a high-performance UASOH-based strain sensor and its integrated wireless sensing systems demonstrate significant potential for practical plant-monitoring applications.
研究领域:
植物学
·
材料科学
·
传感器技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Advanced Materials Technologies
·
2023
·Vol. 8
·期 4
·2201255
·
IF 6.8
Zisheng Zong,Shuo Zhang,Zhigang Wu
Hard magnetic soft materials (HMSMS) have been recently intensively explored in soft robots, owing to its native advantages such as untethered, rapid and reversible actuation, as well as large shape changes. However, in the existing studies, HMSMS is majorly applied by a magnetic field to produce bending, folding, and even twisting, that is, shape morphing, to realize multimodal locomotion. Meanwhile, such as contraction deformation, which may be employed in precise drug delivery, has been neglected in a long term. Here, an anisotropic contraction in a porous structure, hard magnetic foam (HMF), which is mechanically ultra-soft (with a shear modulus of 4.5 kPa) but magnetically hard (with a residual magnetic flux density of 12 mT), is reported. The investigation of HMF structures indicates that anisotropic contraction is dominated by the magnetodeformational effect and the magnetic body-force against support constraint. By adjusting the magnetic fields directions, the relationship between these two factors can be regulated to achieve a maximum contraction of 43% (synergy) or negligible deformation (antagonism). Finally, HMF is utilized to realize precision drug delivery since it has the advantages of no leakage during moving, precisely adjustable drug release rate (from 0.008 to 0.62 mL min −1 ), and no residues after leaving.
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
Materials Today Physics
·
2024
·
IF 10
Yunsong Pang,Junhong Li,Zhibin Wen,Ting Liang,Shan Gao,Min Yang,Dezhao Huang,Jianbin Xu,Tengfei Luo,Xiaoliang Zeng,Rong Sun
The controlling of heat flow direction stands as a prominent methodological approach within the domain of thermal management, and this can be accomplished through the utilization of thermal diodes. However, if the thermal diode lacks mechanical compliance, hindering its intimate contact with heat source/sink surfaces, the thermal rectification performance is limited. In this work, we propose a method to solve the mechanical compliance problem that is introducing phase change material (PCM) consisting of dual alkanes (hexadecane and paraffine wax) and polyurethane to fabricate the heterojunction thermal diode. The fabricated thermal diode exhibits an ultra-soft mechanical feature, with a low elastic modulus of 0.4 KPa and >300 % elongation until failure – the best values reported to date for thermal diodes. The measured thermal rectification factor is as high as 1.42 – in line with the theoretical model prediction. Molecular dynamic simulations reveal that the thermal rectification mechanism of the PCM-based thermal diode originates from the crystal-amorphous phase transition of the hexadecane terminal as the temperature bias flips. Therefore, the heat flow in the forward direction is greater than the flux in the reverse direction. A series of experiments and finite element analyses are employed to verify the feasibility of thermal diodes for applications in real contexts like the civil engineering.
研究领域:
热管理
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材料科学
·
机械工程
·
热物理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
National Science Review
·
2025
·
IF 17.1
Lu Yuyao,Jin Ziguan,Jian Yihui,Kong Depeng,Zhou Hao,Xu Yuhong,Cao Ruijue,Xia Zhuoheng,Yang Fan,Wu Qianglong,Gao Yang,Cui Aoran,Yang Shikuan,Zheng Nenggan,Bang Junhyuk,Yang Geng,Ko Seung Hwan,Yang Huayong,Xu Kaichen
Emerging demand in soft bioelectronic systems poses critical challenges in stiffness control and end-to-end connections due to huge modulus difference in various components. Here, a bidirectionally electrical interface of hydrogel and metal electrodes to bridge soft skin/issue and data collection circuits is enabled by coordination interactions. The dual-mode chelation including internal chelation and surface chelation effectively configures the crosslinking structure of hydrogel as well as enhances the binding interface of metal-hydrogel complex surfaces. Internally, strong chelation competes with esterification, yielding tissue-like softness of hydrogel with an ultra-low modulus of ∼339.9 Pa. Externally, the hydrogel passivates the combined metal surfaces, promoting the formation of interlocked structures between metal oxide nanoislands, achieving a high binding strength of ∼1.95 MPa without compromising electrical conductivity. The stable electrical interconnections via hybrid interfacial bonding enable high signal-to-noise ratio signal recordings from the skin, neural surfaces, and brain, maintaining reliable performance even under mechanical disturbances. This work provides an effective strategy for achieving mechanically and electrically robust hybrid bioelectronic interfaces, advancing their applications in capturing both in vitro and in vivo electrical signals.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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柔性电子
·
神经接口
·
组织工程
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生物材料
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转化医学
·
神经工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2020
·
IF 10.652
Zheqi Chen,Youhua Xiao,Jinwei Fang,Jin He,Yang Gao,Junjie Zhao,Xiang Gao,Yingwu Luo
Electrically active dielectric elastomer has been a leading technology for artificial muscle. It remains a great challenge to significantly reduce the actuation voltage down to far lower than 1 kV. Here, we report that well-designed pentablock copolymer could be an excellent strategy to address the challenge. Particularly, pentablock copolymer (S EHA S) 2 (S for polystyrene, EHA for poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate)) with suitable composition exhibits ultrasoft-yet-strong property, which is rarely observed in an elastomer. The sparse entanglements together with relatively high chain-loop concentration in the EHA phase make the material significantly softer than most elastomers. The middle block of polystyrene reinforces the hard nanodomains to provide the high tensile strength. The ultrasoft-yet-strong property together with high extensibility and good processability allows us to conveniently fabricate an ultrathin actuator, which is highly responsive to low voltage (area strain 93% at 680 V and 30% at 240 V).
研究领域:
材料科学
·
聚合物科学
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电活性聚合物
·
软体机器人
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
InfoMat
·
2025
·
IF 22.3
Bin Zhu,Yao Zhou,Chong Wu,Furui Xiao,Pengyu Chen,Qianqiang Tang,Min Zhang,Zhan Chen,Qiqi Huang,Bincheng Liu,Xiaodong Luo,Caihua Long,Haiyan Chen,Qiufeng Li,Mengyan Yang,Shiwei Du,Yaokang Zhang,Xuechang Zhou
Facial nerve injury arising from diseases or clinical interventions can cause significant physiological and psychological harm. Continuous monitoring of facial muscle electrophysiology can mitigate these risks by informing surgical procedures and guiding postoperative rehabilitation. However, conventional electrodes are predominantly invasive and fabricated from mechanically stiff metals that mismatch soft tissues, often leading to secondary injury and discomfort. Here, we develop an ultrasoft eutectogel and employ it as a non-invasive electrode material for a surface electromyography (sEMG) monitoring array. The eutectogel is synthesized by random copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and the zwitterionic monomer 3-[N,N-dimethyl-[2-(2-methylprop-2-enoyloxy)ethyl]ammonio]propane-1-sulfonate (SBMA) in a deep eutectic solvent (DES), yielding an electrode that integrates ultra-low modulus, strong adhesion, ionic conductivity, and environmental tolerance. The ultra-low modulus and adhesiveness facilitate conformal, dynamic coupling with epidermal tissues, providing an ideal material platform for non-invasive high-quality acquisition of physiological electrical signals, including facial nerve-related activity. We further validate the feasibility of predicting facial nerve functional integrity using this platform. The eutectogel and the flexible multi-electrode array provide a promising strategy for clinical protection and monitoring of facial nerve function.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
神经工程
·
可穿戴传感器
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电生理学
·
软材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2025
·Vol. 16
·期 1
·1-11
·
IF 15.7
Zhang Yongkang,Hu Xiaonan,Yan Zhaonan,Zhang Siyu,Zhao Jiling,Sun Hao,Liu Shuhai,Qin Yong
Although organic piezoelectric materials are increasingly being studied in the field of biomechanical sensing, the combination of high piezoelectricity and high softness is still a huge challenge due to the existence of steric hindrance effect. To conquer this, a polar engineering utilizing liquid-liquid interface induced orientation is developed. It induces polar asymmetry in two linear polymers (polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene/polyethylene glycol, PEG/SIS) with low steric hindrance through a polar interface, thereby achieving high piezoelectricity in a soft material system. This PEG/SIS combined film not only exhibits a piezoelectric coefficient as high as 22.9 pC/N, and stable performance, without attenuation for 60 days, which is comparable to the piezoelectricity of the natural organic materials PVDF, but also has an ultra-softness (~1 × 10 –6 Pa –1 ) similar to that of skin, cartilage and aorta, showing high mechanical compliance with biological tissues. This work gives an approach for the development of organic piezoelectric materials, and is expected to achieve large-scale production and application of highly sensitive flexible biomechanical sensors on various surfaces and in vivo environments.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
有机电子学
·
生物力学
·
传感技术
·
柔性机器人
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
·
2024
·
IF 9.4
Xuxi Ma,Songmei Kong,Zhenzhen Li,Shiyu Zhen,Fusheng Sun,Nan Yang
In this paper, microgels with uniform particle size were prepared by physically cross-linking the hydrophobically modified chitosan ( h -CS) with sodium phytate (SP). The effects of cross-linking density on the interfacial adsorption kinetics , viscoelasticity , stress relaxation, and micorheological properties of the hydrophobically modified chitosan microgels ( h -CSMs) at the oil–water interface were extensively investigated by the dilatational rheology, compressional rheology, and particle tracing microrheology. The results were correlated with the particle size, morphology, and elasticity of the microgels characterized by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy . It was found that with the increase of cross-linking density, the h -CSMs changed from a polymer-like state to ultra-soft fussy spheres with higher elastic modulus . The compression isotherms demonstrated multi-stage increase caused by the interaction between the shells and that between the cores of the microgels successively. As the increase of cross-linking density, the h -CSMs diffused slower to the oil–water interface, but demonstrating faster permeation adsorption and rearrangement at the oil–water interface, finally forming interfacial layers of higher viscoelastic modulus due to the core-core interaction. Both the initial tension relaxation and the microgel rearrangement after interface expansion became faster as the microgel elasticity increased. The interfacial microrheology demonstrated dynamic caging effect caused by neighboring microgels. This article provides a more comprehensive understanding of the behaviors of polysaccharide microgels at the oil-water interface.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
化学工程
·
胶体与界面科学
·
高分子科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Nano
·
2022
·
IF 18.027
Shipei Zhu,Ganhua Xie,Huanqing Cui,Qingchuan Li,Joe Forth,Shuai Yuan,Jingxuan Tian,Yi Pan,Wei Guo,Yu Chai,Yage Zhang,Zhenyu Yang,Ryan Wing Hei Yu,Yafeng Yu,Sihan Liu,Youchuang Chao,Yinan Shen,Sai Zhao,Thomas P Russell,Ho Cheung Shum
Soft robots, made from elastomers, easily bend and flex, but deformability constraints severely limit navigation through and within narrow, confined spaces. Using aqueous two-phase systems we print water-in-water constructs that, by aqueous phase-separation-induced self-assembly, produce ultrasoft liquid robots, termed aquabots, comprised of hierarchical structures that span in length scale from the nanoscopic to microsciopic, that are beyond the resolution limits of printing and overcome the deformability barrier. The exterior of the compartmentalized membranes is easily functionalized, for example, by binding enzymes, catalytic nanoparticles, and magnetic nanoparticles that impart sensitive magnetic responsiveness. These ultrasoft aquabots can adapt their shape for gripping and transporting objects and can be used for targeted photocatalysis, delivery, and release in confined and tortuous spaces. These biocompatible, multicompartmental, and multifunctional aquabots can be readily applied to medical micromanipulation, targeted cargo delivery, tissue engineering, and biomimetics.
研究领域:
机器人技术
·
材料科学
·
生物医学工程
·
纳米技术
·
化学工程
·
生物技术
✓ 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）