Learning from Nature: Binary Cooperative Complementary Nanomaterials

Su, Bin; Guo, Wei; Jiang, Lei

doi:10.1002/smll.201401307

Cited by 89 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 207 publications

(279 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…36 For example, the binary cooperative effect 37,38 of the hydrophilic segments and hydrophobic segments cause the polymer chains to assemble into aggregates in aqueous solutions, with the hydrophobic segments twisting and coiling to entangle each other via hydrophobic interactions as the core. 39 Under certain conditions, the aggregates are able to transform among various morphologies, [39][40][41][42] including spheres, rods, 43 vesicles, 44 tubules 45 and cubosomes 46 similar to actuators.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A monolithic hydro/organo macro copolymer actuator synthesized via interfacial copolymerization

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Synthetic polymer actuators have attracted increasing attention for their potential applications in artificial muscles, soft robotics and sensors. The majority of previous efforts have focused on smart hydrogels with bilayer structures that can change their shape in response to environmental stimuli, such as temperature, light and certain chemicals. However, the practical application of hydrogels is limited because of their low modulus and weak mechanical strength. Here we synthesized a robust monolithic actuator of a macro-scale hydro/organo binary cooperative Janus copolymer film. The process involves direct, one-step interfacial polymerization of immiscible hydrophilic and hydrophobic vinyl monomer solutions, and the resultant product exhibited binary cooperative shape transformation to multiple external stimuli. The Janus copolymer film can work in both aqueous solutions and organic solvents, with bidirectional and site-specific bending arising from cooperative asymmetric swelling/shrinking of the hydrogel and organogel networks. In addition, the as-prepared Janus copolymer film can act as a sensor element for solvent leakage detection. This binary cooperative strategy is applicable to most immiscible monomer systems and provides a general approach to developing novel functional copolymer materials. NPG Asia Materials (2017) 9, e380; doi:10.1038/am.2017.61; published online 19 May 2017 INTRODUCTIONThe shape transformations of biological organisms [1][2][3][4][5][6] have been the inspiration for many products in the field of artificial muscles, 7-13 soft robotics, 14-19 sensors 20 and complex shape engineering. 21,22 For example, the leaves of the Venus flytrap snap together to capture insects by virtue of the synergy between the hydroelastic instability and asymmetric expansion of the inner and outer surfaces at the cellular level. 2 The layered anisotropic orientated cellulose fibrils induce hygroscopic movements of pine cones, 1 wheat awns, 3 orchid tree seedpods 6 and other plants. By mimicking the sophisticated hierarchical structures present in nature, the motion of polymer films has been successfully demonstrated in several cases. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] For example, hydrogel bilayers embedded with intersecting inorganic platelets or cellulose fibrils have exhibited pine-cone-like bending and pod-like twisting motions. 24,31 However, the practical applications of these actuators were limited because of the low modulus and weak mechanical strength of the hydrogels. 32 Elastomer single layer films, such as azobenzene polymer films synthesized using an elaborate molecular design, 13,27 can achieve smart responsive curving. However, these films require a unidirectional stimulus to generate anisotropic contraction/expansion of their two sides; this factor limits the film thickness to the micrometer or sub-millimeter level. 27,[33][34][35] Therefore,

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A monolithic hydro/organo macro copolymer actuator synthesized via interfacial copolymerization

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…When the distance between these two components reaches a critical length to form some physical interactions, novel properties in macroscopic scale will be produced. [98] It is noteworthy that this theory can be observed in SAPL interfaces of different dimensions, such as the SAPL "hedgehog" particles consisting of hydrophilic ZnO nanospikes and hydrophobic air layer, [99] the SAPL flat silicon wafer surfaces consisting of hydrophilic hydroxyl groups and hydrophobic oxygen bridges, [40] the SAPL foam framework consisting of hydrophilic phytic acid and hydrophobic graphene. [100] In the following section, typical SLPL interfaces in different dimensions will be briefly introduced.…”

Section: Overview Of Slpl Interfaces In Different Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Superlyophilic Interfaces and Their Applications

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Superlyophilic interfaces denote interfaces displaying strong affinity to diverse liquids, including superhydrophilic, superoleophilic, and superamphiphilic interfaces. When coming in contact with these interfaces, water or oil droplets tend to spread completely with contact angles close to 0°, presenting versatile applications including self‐cleaning, antifogging, controllable liquid transport, liquid separation, and so forth. Inspired by nature, scientists have developed various kinds of artificial superlyophilic (SLPL) interfaces in the past decades. In terms of dimensional characteristics, the artificial SLPL interfaces can be divided into four categories: i) 0D particles, whose dispersibility or catalytic performance can be notably enhanced by superlyophilicity; ii) 1D micro‐/nanofibers or nanotubes/channels, which can efficiently transfer liquids with SLPL interfaces; iii) 2D flat SLPL interfaces, on which different functional molecules can be deposited uniformly, forming ultrathin and smooth films; and iv) 3D structures, which can be obtained by either constructing 0D, 1D, or 2D SLPL materials separately or directly fabricating random SLPL frameworks, and can always be used as functional coatings or bulk materials. Here, natural and artificial SLPL interfaces are briefly introduced, followed by a short discussion of the limit between lyophilicity and lyophobicity, and then a snapshot of methods to generate SLPL interfaces is given. Specific focus is placed on recent achievements of constructing SLPL interfaces from zero to three dimensions. Following that, broad applications of SLPL interfaces in commercial areas will be introduced. Finally, a short summary and outlook for future challenges in this field is presented.

show abstract

“…Many excellent perspectives and reviews on the preparation and the new physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials have been published recently [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. In general, the synthesis of nanomaterials and the creation of nanostructures are achieved mainly through two complementary approaches, identified as top-down synthesis and bottom-up synthesis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategies for designing metal oxide nanostructures

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There has been exponential growth in research activities on nanomaterials and nanotechnology for applications in emerging technologies and sustainable energy in the past decade. The properties of nanomaterials have been found to vary in terms of their shapes, sizes, and number of nanoscale dimensions, which have also further boosted the performance of nanomaterial-based electronic, catalytic, and sustainable energy conversion and storage devices. This reveals the importance and, indeed, the linchpin role of nanomaterial synthesis for current nanotechnology and high-performance functional devices. In this review, we provide an overview of the synthesis strategies for designing metal oxide nanomaterials in zerodimensional (0D), one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) forms, particularly of the selected typical metal oxides TiO2, SnO2 and ZnO. The pros and cons of the typical synthetic methods and experimental protocols are reviewed and outlined. This comprehensive review gives a broad overview of the synthetic strategies for designing "property-on-demand" metal oxide nanostructures to further advance current nanoscience and nanotechnology.

show abstract

Learning from Nature: Binary Cooperative Complementary Nanomaterials

Cited by 89 publications

References 207 publications

A monolithic hydro/organo macro copolymer actuator synthesized via interfacial copolymerization

A monolithic hydro/organo macro copolymer actuator synthesized via interfacial copolymerization

Superlyophilic Interfaces and Their Applications

Strategies for designing metal oxide nanostructures

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About