Energy & Environmental Materials
·
2022
·Vol. 6
·期 3
·e12375
·
IF 13.443
Zihan Xu,Wenxin Fan,Jinghua Duan,Yanzhi Xia,Zhihong Nie,Kunyan Sui
The 3D shape-changing hydrogels are highly pursued for numerous applications. However, up to now, the construction of complex 3D shape-changing hydrogels remains a challenge. The reported design strategies are mainly applied to fabricate 2D ones by introducing anisotropic microstructures into hydrogel sheets/membranes. Herein, we present a convenient photolithography strategy for constructing complex 3D shape-changing hydrogels by simultaneously modulating anisotropic microstructures and internal stress fields of gel sheets. When the precursor solution containing ultraviolet (UV) absorber is irradiated by single-side UV light, the attenuated polymerization rate can cause the generation of asymmetric internal stress field in the resulting hydrogel sheet. In the meantime, the directional diffusion of unpolymerized monomers allows for the formation of vertical gradient structure within hydrogel. Therefore, by applying different photomasks to modulate the local gradient structures and internal stress fields of the gel sheets, they can spontaneously transform into various complex 3D shape-changing hydrogels in the air. Response to the external stimuli, these 3D shape-changing hydrogels (e.g., fighter plane, birdie, and multi-storey origami lattices) can deform in a novel 3D 1 -to-3D 2 -to-3D 3 mode. This new design strategy contributes to the development of complex biomedical implants and soft robotics.
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
ADVANCED MATERIALS
·
2023
·Vol. 35
·期 36
·2302706
·
IF 29.4
Jiahao Sun,Wei Liao,Zhongqiang Yang
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) exhibits large and reversible deformability originating from the alignment of liquid crystal mesogens. Additive manufacturing provides high controllability in the alignment and shaping process of LCE actuators. However, it still remains a challenge to customize LCE actuators with both diverse 3D deformability and recyclability. In this study, a new strategy is developed to exploit knitting technique to additively manufacture LCE actuators. The obtained LCE actuators are fabric-structured with designed geometry and deformability. By accurately adjusting the parameters of the knitting patterns as modules, diverse geometry is pixel-wise designed, and complex 3D deformations including bending, twisting, and folding are quantitatively controlled. In addition, the fabric-structured LCE actuators can be threaded, stitched, and reknitted to achieve advanced geometry, integrated multi-functions and efficient recyclability. This approach allows the fabrication of versatile LCE actuators with potential applications in smart textiles and soft robots.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
制造工程
·
软体机器人
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Materials Horizons
·
2024
·
IF 12.2
Yuhan Zhang,Baohua Yuan,Yingjie Shi,Xinyu Chen,Zizheng Wang,Longxiang He,Bingxuan Wang,Jiumei Xiao,Meina Yu,Yanzi Gao,Lanying Zhang,Cheng Zou,Ruochen Lan,Huai Yang
Intelligent soft robots that integrate both structural color and controllable actuation ability have attracted substantial attention for constructing biomimetic systems, biomedical devices, and soft robotics. However, simultaneously endowing the single-layer cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer (CLCE) soft actuators with reversible 3D deformability and vivid structural color changes is still challenging. Herein, a multi-responsive (force, heat and light) single-layer 3D deformable soft actuator with vivid structural color-changing ability is realized though the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) deposition-induced Janus structure of CLCE using a precisely-controlled evaporation method. This single-layer structural color soft actuator can directly transform from a flat shape to a 3D shape through photothermal effect. The introduction of RGO not only improves the mechanical properties and color saturation of the CLCE, but also endows it with near-infrared (NIR) light responsiveness via the photothermal effect. Moreover, due to the structural gradient resulting from the spontaneous deposition of RGO during the deswelling process, CLCEs show a stacked structure of helical CLC layer and RGO-dispersed amorphous layer, which are capable of undergoing multiple reversible 3D deformations. The reversible deformations of biomimetic devices such as petal-like films imitating blooming flowers, thin strips imitating plant tendrils, and a cobweb-inspired catching net are achieved to demonstrate applications of this single-layer RGO/CLCE composite film. This work provides a simple strategy for the construction of single-layer 3D deformable soft actuators.
研究领域:
智能材料
·
软体机器人
·
生物医学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
·
2025
·
IF 4
Zhou Wei,Han Yue,Xiao Peng,Yu Yi,Wang Yu-Chao,Chen Tao
Controllably tuning the sensing performance of flexible mechanical sensors is important for them to realize on-demand sensing of various mechanical stimuli in different application scenarios. However, current regulating strategies focus on the construction process of individual sensors, the response performance of the as-formed sensors is still hard to autonomously tune with external stimulus changes like human skin. Here, we propose a new strategy that realizes post-tuning of the sensing performance by introducing a temperature-dependent phase transition elastomer into the sensing film. Through an interfacially confined photopolymerization reaction, a graphene-based phase-transition elastomeric (GPTE) film with a robust interface and excellent conductivity is well-formed at the water/air interface. Benefiting from the crystallization-melt dynamic switching in the elastomer network, the GPTE film could experience the reversible transformation between soft (1.65 MPa) and stiff (12.27 MPa) states, showing huge changes of elastic modulus up to seven times near the phase transition temperature (28.5 °C). Furthermore, the GPTE film is designed into a suspended perceptual configuration realizing the dynamic detection of 3D deformation adapted to temperature changes with up to 3.5-fold difference in response sensitivity. Finally, the self-adaptive sensing behavior of temperature-mediated 3D deformation is demonstrated by the effective detection of the dynamic stimulation process of cold and hot water droplets by the GPTE suspended film. The proposed strategy of phase transition-induced post-tuning of sensing performance could greatly facilitate flexible mechanical sensors towards a more intelligent one.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
传感技术
✓ 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）