ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
·
2025
·
IF 19
Ruolin Wang,Yufeng Liang,Jingcheng Xiao,Dongjing Gao,Yongping Bai,Jinmei He,Yifan Wang
Dielectric elastomers (DEs) function as deformable capacitors capable of generating mechanical work under an applied electric field. Despite their promise, the practical deployment of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) is limited by challenges in scalable fabrication and achieving high mechanical output. In this work, a high-performance, reversibly crosslinkable DE is presented based on a tailored polysiloxane network. By optimizing ratio of short- and long-chain segments, the elastomer exhibits enhanced electromechanical performance, achieving a maximum areal strain of 19.09% at 18 kV mm −1 without the need for prestretching—outperforming conventional DE materials. Furthermore, an efficient, scalable, and high-yield dry stacking process that is introduced, enables the fabrication of multilayer actuators while maintaining the superior performance of single-layer films. As a demonstration, a lightweight soft gripper based on this actuator effectively manipulates complex and delicate objects, lifting loads up to 500 times its own weight using a combination of electroadhesion and dielectric actuation. These results highlight the potential of this dielectric elastomer for advancing soft robotics and next-generation flexible actuators technologies.
研究领域:
柔性机器人
·
材料科学
·
高分子科学
·
机电学
·
柔性电子学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
·
2025
·
IF 12.5
Ya Lu,Shengnan Li,Yuanyuan Ma,Fang Deng,Yiying Yue,Shaohua Jiang,Mingqiang Ye,Yihui Zhou,Huining Xiao,Jingquan Han
Hydrogel actuators show tremendous promise for applications in soft robots and artificial muscles. Nevertheless, developing a stretchable hydrogel actuator combining remote actuation and real-time signal feedback remains a challenge. Herein, a light-responsive hydrogel actuator with self-sensing function is fabricated by employing a localized immersion strategy to incorporate polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel network into semi-interpenetrating carbon nanotube/2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofiber/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (CNT/TOCN/PNIPAM) hydrogel. CNTs impart photothermal response and electrical conductivity to the hydrogels. TOCNs facilitate the dispersion of CNTs and improve the mechanical properties of the hydrogel. The introduction of PAM further reinforces the mechanical strength and promotes the formation of gradient structure, which can prevent interlayer separation during the actuating process. The optimized CNT/TOCN/PNIPAM-PAM hydrogel actuator with enhanced tensile strength (53.0 kPa), stretchability (131.1 %), conductivity (2.5 S m −1 ) and reversible near-infrared (NIR) light responsiveness (bending velocity 6.25° s −1 ) enables a variety of precise and remote light-responsive deformations. The conductive hydrogel-based strain sensor with high sensitivity (gauge factor, 3.6) can rapidly and accurately identify various human movements. Notably, the hydrogel can perceive its actions driven by NIR light through real-time resistance changes, realizing closed-loop monitoring and sensing feedback, which provided new insights for novel soft biomimetic actuating materials and integrated multi-functional devices.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
高分子科学
·
柔性机器人
·
智能材料
·
传感器技术
·
仿生材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ADVANCED MATERIALS
·
2025
·
IF 26.8
Qing Li Zhu,Zhijie Li,Hanlei Cheng,Weixuan Liu,Zhi Jian Wang,Olena Khoruzhenko,Josef Breu,Wei Hong,Qiang Zheng,Zi Liang Wu
Michell's instability, a classic type of mechanical instability, has received tremendous interest from different disciplines. It occurs when the pre-torsion in an elastic ring surpasses a critical value; the elastic ring spontaneously undergoes a transition from a flat or warped shape to a figure-of-eight configuration. However, such instability has rarely been exploited in designing soft actuators. Here, by employing a stimulus-triggered Michell's instability, hydrogel-based ring actuators capable of fast shape morphing are developed. Upon heating or light irradiation, the hydrogel ring transforms rapidly from the saddle-shape into the figure-of-eight configuration. Rigorous experiments and simulations reveal the underlying mechanism and attribute it to the stimuli-induced variations in bending and torsional stiffnesses of the gel string with anisotropic structure and response, which reduces the critical twist for Michell's instability of the ring actuator. Moreover, effects of light intensity, environmental temperature, ring size, and pre-torsion on reconfiguration are also investigated. The fast action of the ring actuators in aqueous conditions has been demonstrated through various tasks, such as screwing a bottle cap, kicking a ball, and triggering synergetic deformations. The design principle of soft actuators by harnessing Michell's instability should merit the development of other soft machines with fast action and large-amplitude reconfiguration.
研究领域:
软体机器人
·
材料科学
·
机械工程
·
智能材料
·
生物医学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
·
2012
·
IF 1.207
Changjuan Guo,Zhongyao Jiang,Chunguang Xie,Hui Zhu,Wei Gao,Zhengxu Huang,Ping Cheng,Zhong Fu,Zhen Zhou
According to the demand of home-made spectrometer, a radio frequency (RF) signal driver was developed. This RF signal driver is composed of signal generating circuit, signal amplification circuit and power output circuit, to drive the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ). The designed RFQ is used to transfer ions generated in atmospheric pressure ion source to a home-made desktop orthogonal-injection time-of-flight mass analyzer. This signal driver is divided into low-frequency part and high-frequency part to support RFQ transferring ions of larger values (i.e., m / z =100–600) and smaller values (i.e., m / z =20–100) respectively. The low-frequency part of the RF signal driver can provide RF signals with resonance frequency of 1.43 MHz, peak to peak voltage V p–p of 0–1080 V, and the high-frequency part can provide RF signals with resonance frequency of 2.05 MHz, peak to peak voltage V p–p of 0–520 V. With the radio frequency signal driver described in this paper, ions in the range m/z 20–600 can be transmitted efficiently by RFQ.
研究领域:
分析化学
·
质谱技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Advanced Optical Materials
·
2021
·Vol. 9
·期 21
·2101132
·
IF 9.926
Yongcheng He,Haohua Liang,Meihua Chen,Licheng Jiang,Zhishen Zhang,Xiaobo Heng,Lin Yang,Yanpeng Hao,Jiulin Gan,Zhongmin Yang
Soft actuators, an emerging field in robotics, have great potential for wide-ranging applications in biology, medicine, engineering, and oceanography. Photoactuators that are stimulated by light to produce reversible mechanical deformation have attracted significant interest in recent years owing to their advantages of high resolution, fast switching, flexible controllability, and electromagnetic interference immunity. Conventional photoactuators rely on free-space illumination, which limits the control in light-obstructed surroundings. A low loss optical fiber waveguide-based soft photoactuator composed of photothermally responsive material hinges and high-transparency elastomer fiber arms is proposed. When light travels in the elastomer fiber arms, the hinges exhibit a very large shape change so that the arms bend by themselves, with a maximum repeatable bending angle of approximately 145°. The angle is determined by the injected optical power. A fiber photoactuator with dual hinges is designed that is capable of reversible complex deformation. Moreover, in a narrow silicone tube, the fiber photoactuator can still be stimulated with considerable deformation by the light injected along the fiber. A fiber photoactuator-constructed microhook is demonstrated for grabbing object in water.
研究领域:
机器人学
·
生物医学工程
·
光学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Advanced Materials Technologies
·
2024
·Vol. 9
·期 13
·2400073
·
IF 6.4
Yongcheng He,Haojun Liu,Jiajia Luo,Nuo Li,Zhishen Zhang,Jiulin Gan,Zhongmin Yang
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) photoactuators offer a versatile platform for executing complicated tasks through precisely controlled bending directions and amplitudes. Optical waveguides assist photoactuators to perform tasks unimpededly. While most existing optical waveguide actuators are limited to unidirectional bending, limiting their versatility. Here, a LCE actuator integrated with a tapered optical fiber with controllable bending directions and amplitudes is presented. The LCE actuator displays bending motions induced by uneven shrinkage due to the off-center fiber. The bending directions are parallel to the previous uniaxial alignment of the LCE film, which can be adjusted to an arbitrary angle with the tapered optical fiber. The LCE actuators exhibit adaptable bending directions at 0°, 45°, and 90°, representing the possible bending motions. The bending amplitudes are regulated by infrared laser power. A hook-like LCE actuator with 0° bending direction carried the handle of a basket. In addition, a 90° bending direction LCE actuator displays the shrinkage behavior, showing a special bending motion control. Moreover, a bionic hand, comprising five LCE actuators with various bending directions, exhibited diverse gestures with precise control. The controllable bending motions in optical waveguide actuators expand the promising applications in complicated scenarios, such as catheters or other medical devices.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
光学工程
·
仿生学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2022
·
IF 16.744
Lian Chen,Xianshuo Wei,Ye Sun,Yaoting Xue,Jingwen Wang,Qijun Wu,Chunxin Ma,Xuxu Yang,Gaigai Duan,Feng Wang,Shaoju Jian,Weisen Yang,Shaohua Jiang
Near-infrared light-responsive hydrogels are one of the most important soft biomimetic actuators owing to their accuracy, remote control performance, and permeability. However, the complex deformations and materials of hydrogel actuators are still a serious challenge. Herein, we have developed a novel composite hydrogel actuator by combining natural bamboo sheet and nigrosine/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) composite hydrogel. The high-efficient photothermal conversion of the nigrosine/PNIPAM composite hydrogel sheet generates light-responsive actuation that is remotely controllable. Furthermore, the bamboo sheet with fiber-oriented structure can be cut at different angles, which facilitates programmable 3D complex deformations in the actuator. Accordingly, we have designed a series of biomimetic actuating devices, including simulations of butterfly antenna, Dendrobium , smart switch, and even a multi-step deformational biomimetic claw. In addition, we also explored a biomimetic insect with precisely-controlled fast movements on the water surface based on Marangoni effect. This work provides a simple but general strategy for fabricating biomimetic actuators and will inspire new designs for intelligent soft actuators.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
仿生学
·
光化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2022
·
IF 16.744
Yi Wang,Zhiling Luo,Yongqiang Qian,Wei Zhang,Luzhuo Chen
Soft robots are developing in the direction of integration, miniaturization and multi-functionality, so various devices (power sources, sensors, actuators, etc.) are becoming more and more integrated. Actuators and energy storage modules are two important components, and the integration of these two modules is critical to the development of soft robots. However, how to integrate actuating and energy-storage functions in a single device is still a challenge. Here, we propose a “one-for-all” strategy to prepare devices with multi-functions using a monolithic MXene/biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) composite film. On one hand, the obtained bilayer film works as an actuator, which can be driven by light or electricity. The maximal bending curvature is up to 1.51 cm −1 and has no significant decay after 600 cycles. On the other hand, the BOPP can overcome the brittleness of MXene thin film and promote its application in flexible supercapacitors. The areal capacitance of the electrode is 358.2 mF cm −2 (238.8 F g −1 ) at 0.1 mA cm −2 . Furthermore, a smart gripper with indication function, combining both actuating and energy-storage functions, is successfully fabricated, which can indicate the working state of the gripper. The demonstration not only can provide a new design idea for greatly broadening the application field of MXene composite, but also can inspire more researches for smart devices, highlighting the feasibility of the “one-for-all” idea.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
机器人学
·
能源存储
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nano Research
·
2024
·
IF 9.5
Wang Yi,Xue Guanfeng,Luo Zhiling,Zhang Wei,Chen Luzhuo
Integrating energy-storage devices (supercapacitors) and shape-deformation devices (actuators) advances the miniaturization and multifunctional development of soft robots. However, soft robots necessitate supercapacitors with high energy-storage performance and actuators with excellent actuation capability. Here, inspired by ant nests, we present a porous structure fabricated by MXene-graphene-methylcellulose (M-GMC) composite, which overcomes the self-stacking of MXene nanosheets and offers a larger specific surface area. The porous structure provides more channels and active sites for electrolyte ions, resulting in high energy storage performance. The areal capacitance of the M-GMC electrode reaches up to 787.9 mF·cm −2 , significantly superior to that of the pristine MXene electrode (449.1 mF·cm −2 ). Moreover, the M-GMC/polyethylene bilayer composites with energy storage and multi-responsive actuation functions are developed. The M-GMC is used as the electrode and the polyethylene is used as the encapsulation layer of the quasi-solid-state supercapacitor. Meanwhile, the actuators fabricated by the bilayer composites can be driven by light or low voltage (≤ 9 V). The maximum bending curvature is up to 5.11 cm −1 . Finally, a smart gripper and a fully encapsulated smart integrated circuit based on the M-GMC/polyethylene are designed. The smart gripper enables programmable control with multi-stage deformations. The applications realize the intelligence and miniaturization of soft robots. The ant-nest-inspired M-GMC composites would provide a promising development strategy for soft robots and smart integrated devices.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
能源技术
·
智能设备
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nanoscale
·
2021
·Vol. 13
·期 27
·12017-12027
·
IF 7.79
Xin Song,Xuewu Huang,Junchen Luo,Biao Long,Weimiao Zhang,Ling Wang,Jiefeng Gao,Huaiguo Xue
Recently, a series of super-hydrophobic materials have been prepared and efforts have been made to further expand their applications, especially in electronics and smart actuators. However, it remains challenging to develop light weight, flexible and super-hydrophobic materials integrating multifunctionalities such as superior photothermal conversion, corrosion resistance, and controllable actuation. Herein, a superhydrophobic and multi-responsive carbon nanofiber (CNF) hybrid membrane with an outstanding photo-thermal effect is fabricated by electrospinning the mixture of polyacrylonitrile and nickel acetylacetonate, followed by two step heat treatment and subsequent fluorination. The superhydrophobic CNF hybrid membrane with outstanding anti-corrosion and self-cleaning performance can float on the water surface spontaneously, thus effectively reducing the motion resistance. The light driven actuation with controllable movement can be achieved by adjusting the laser irradiated location, in which the localized absorption of light is transformed into thermal energy, and hence an imbalanced surface tension is created. The multifunctional hybrid membrane also opens up an arena of applications such as freestanding flexible electronics, drug delivery, and environmental protection.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
智能材料
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Polymers
·
2024
·Vol. 16
·期 7
·927
·
IF 4.7
Mingshan Wen,Hang Wang,Bole Ma,Fuquan Xiong
In this study, the photothermal performance of lignin-based nanospheres was investigated. Subsequently, a photothermal actuator was prepared using lignin-based carbon nanospheres (LCNSs). The results demonstrated that LCNSs exhibited an impressive photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 83.8%. This extreme efficiency significantly surpasses that of lignin nanospheres (LNSs) and covalently stabilized LNSs (HT-LNSs). As a structural material, a hydrophobic coating was effectively engineered by LCNSs on the filter paper, achieving a water contact angle of 151.9° ± 4.6°, while maintaining excellent photothermal effects (with a temperature increment from room temperature to 138 °C in 2 s). When employing hydrophobic filter paper as the substrate for the photothermaldriven actuator, under the influence of a 1.0 W/cm2power–density NIR laser, the material exhibited outstanding photothermal actuation, achieving speeds up to 16.4 mm/s. In addition, the direction of motion of the actuator can be adjusted in accordance with the location of the NIR light irradiation. This study offers valuable perspectives on the application of LNSs for highvalue applications and the development of innovative photothermal-driven actuators.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
能源与环境科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
·
2020
·Vol. 305
·期 6
·2000145
·
IF 3.853
Sitong Wang,Shuang Yan,Li Zhang,Huhu Zhao,Tian Yang,Feibo Li,Huanjun Li
Soft humidity-responsive materials are highly desirable for applications such as actuators, sensors, generators, and soft robots. However, it remains a huge challenge to develop a durable, cost-effective, fast responsive version of such a smart material powered by water evaporation at ambient conditions. Herein, this challenge is addressed to demonstrate sustained response to humidity gradient from ambient water evaporation by using common poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film as an actuator. The resultant PVA film displays strong mechanical properties in both dry and wet conditions, which cause rapid adsorption and desorption of water vapor to drive the film undergoing swift locomotion with flipping frequency of up to 65 r min -1 . Based on these features, a mimosa inspired humidity-responsive actuator is developed which is far superior in response speed and durability than real mimosa. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the film actuator can convert water evaporation energy into electricity when attached to a piezoelectric element.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
软体机器人
·
能源转换
✓ 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）