Multiscale Heterogeneous Polymer Composites for High Stiffness 4D Printed Electrically Controllable Multifunctional Structures

Morales Ferrer, Javier M.; Sánchez Cruz, Ramón E.; Caplan, Sophie; van Rees, Wim M.; Boley, J. William

doi:10.1002/adma.202307858

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 70 publications

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“…The composite actuator with an embedded resistance sensor can monitor the bending angle and direction in real time. Boley et al 119 added various materials such as carbon fiber and carbon nanotubes into the polymer matrix to develop a new heterogeneous polymer composite for 4D printing. The printed bilayer structure had programmable and predictable thermal and mechanical responses and, thus, enabled self-sensing functionality.…”

Section: Materials Composite-based Soft Actuators and Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in 3D Printing of Polymer Materials as Soft Actuators and Robots

Kong,

Dong,

et al. 2024

Chem Bio Eng.

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With inspiration from natural systems, various soft actuators and robots have been explored in recent years with versatile applications in biomedical and engineering fields. Soft active materials with rich stimulus-responsive characteristics have been an ideal candidate to devise these soft machines by using different manufacturing technologies. Among these technologies, three-dimensional (3D) printing shows advantages in fabricating constructs with multiple materials and sophisticated architectures. In this Review, we aim to provide an overview of recent progress on 3D printing of soft materials, robotics performances, and representative applications. Typical 3D printing techniques are briefly introduced, followed by state-of-the-art advances in 3D printing of hydrogels, shape memory polymers, liquid crystalline elastomers, and their hybrids as soft actuators and robots. From the perspective of material properties, the commonly used printing techniques and action-generation principles for typical printed constructs are discussed. Actuation performances, locomotive behaviors, and representative applications of printed soft materials are summarized. The relationship between printing structures and action performances of soft actuators and robots is also briefly discussed. Finally, the advantages and limitations of each soft material are compared, and the remaining challenges and future directions in this field are prospected.

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Section: Materials Composite-based Soft Actuators and Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in 3D Printing of Polymer Materials as Soft Actuators and Robots

Kong,

Dong,

et al. 2024

Chem Bio Eng.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Photocontrolled Reversible Solid‐Fluid Transitions of Azopolymer Nanocomposites for Intelligent Nanomaterials

Liang,

Yuan,

Nie

et al. 2024

Advanced Materials

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Intelligent polymer nanocomposites are multicomponent and multifunctional materials that show immense potential across diverse applications. However, to exhibit intelligent traits such as adaptability, reconfigurability and dynamic properties, these materials often require a solvent or heating environment to facilitate the mobility of polymer chains and nanoparticles, rendering their applications in everyday settings impractical. Here intelligent azopolymer nanocomposites that function effectively in a solvent‐free, room‐temperature environment based on photocontrolled reversible solid‐fluid transitions via switching flow temperatures (Tfs) are shown. A range of nanocomposites is synthesized through the grafting of Au nanoparticles, Au nanorods, quantum dots, or superparamagnetic nanoparticles with photoresponsive azopolymers. Leveraging the reversible cis‐trans photoisomerization of azo groups, the azopolymer nanocomposites transition between solid (Tf above room temperature) and fluid (Tf below room temperature) states. Such photocontrolled reversible solid‐fluid transitions empower the rewriting of nanopatterns, correction of nanoscale defects, reconfiguration of complex multiscale structures, and design of intelligent optical devices. These findings highlight Tf‐switchable polymer nanocomposites as promising candidates for the development of intelligent nanomaterials operative in solvent‐free, room‐temperature conditions.

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Effect of curvature variations on the hydrodynamic performance of heaving and pitching foils

van Rees

2024

Theor. Comput. Fluid Dyn.

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The use of heaving and pitching fins for underwater propulsion of engineering devices poses an attractive outlook given the efficiency and adaptability of natural fish. However, significant knowledge gaps need to be bridged before biologically inspired propulsion is able to operate at competitive performances in a practical setting. One of these relates to the design of structures that can leverage passive deformation and active morphing in order to achieve optimal hydrodynamic performance. To provide insights into the performance improvements associated with passive and active fin deformations, we provide here a systematic numerical investigation in the thrust, power, and efficiency of 2D heaving and pitching fins with imposed curvature variations. The results show that for a given chordline kinematics, the use of curvature can improve thrust by 70% or efficiency by 35% over a rigid fin. Maximum thrust is achieved when the camber variations are synchronized with the maximum heave velocity, increasing the overall magnitude of the force vector while increasing efficiency as well. Maximum efficiency is achieved when camber is applied during the first half of the stroke, tilting the force vector to create thrust earlier in the cycle than a comparable rigid fin. Overall, our results demonstrate that curving fins are consistently able to significantly outperform rigid fins with the same chord line kinematics on both thrust and hydrodynamic efficiency.

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Multiscale Heterogeneous Polymer Composites for High Stiffness 4D Printed Electrically Controllable Multifunctional Structures

Cited by 5 publications

References 70 publications

Recent Progress in 3D Printing of Polymer Materials as Soft Actuators and Robots

Recent Progress in 3D Printing of Polymer Materials as Soft Actuators and Robots

Photocontrolled Reversible Solid‐Fluid Transitions of Azopolymer Nanocomposites for Intelligent Nanomaterials

Effect of curvature variations on the hydrodynamic performance of heaving and pitching foils

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