Highly robust and soft biohybrid mechanoluminescence for optical signaling and illumination.

Journal: Nature communications
PMID: 35798737

Abstract

Biohybrid is a newly emerging and promising approach to construct soft robotics and soft machines with novel functions, high energy efficiency, great adaptivity and intelligence. Despite many unique advantages of biohybrid systems, it is well known that most biohybrid systems have a relatively short lifetime, require complex fabrication process, and only remain functional with careful maintenance. Herein, we introduce a simple method to create a highly robust and power-free soft biohybrid mechanoluminescence, by encapsulating dinoflagellates, bioluminescent unicellular marine algae, into soft elastomeric chambers. The dinoflagellates retain their intrinsic bioluminescence, which is a near-instantaneous light response to mechanical forces. We demonstrate the robustness of various geometries of biohybrid mechanoluminescent devices, as well as potential applications such as visualizing external mechanical perturbations, deformation-induced illumination, and optical signaling in a dark environment. Our biohybrid mechanoluminescent devices are ultra-sensitive with fast response time and can maintain their light emission capability for weeks without special maintenance.

Authors

  • Chenghai Li
    School of Air and Missile Defense, Air Force Engineering University, Xi'an 710051, China.
  • Qiguang He
    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
  • Yang Wang
    Department of General Surgery The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology Kunming China.
  • Zhijian Wang
    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.
  • Zijun Wang
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University Shihezi Xinjiang 832003 PR China eavanh@163.com lqridge@163.com 1175828694@qq.com 318798309@qq.com wzj_tea@shzu.edu.cn.
  • Raja Annapooranan
    Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
  • Michael I Latz
    Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
  • Shengqiang Cai
    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. shqcai@ucsd.edu.

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