Bioinspired Self-Resettable Hydrogel Actuators Powered by a Chemical Fuel.

Journal: ACS applied materials & interfaces
Published Date: Sep 28, 2022

Abstract

The movements of soft living tissues, such as muscle, have sparked a strong interest in the design of hydrogel actuators; however, so far, typical manmade examples still lag behind their biological counterparts, which usually function under nonequilibrium conditions through the consumption of high-energy biomolecules and show highly autonomous behaviors. Here, we report on self-resettable hydrogel actuators that are powered by a chemical fuel and can spontaneously return to their original states over time once the fuels are depleted. Self-resettable actuation originates from a chemical fuel-mediated transient change in the hydrophilicity of the hydrogel networks. The actuation extent and duration can be programmed by the fuel levels, and the self-resettable actuation process is highly recyclable through refueling. Furthermore, various proof-of-concept autonomous soft robots are created, resembling the movements of soft-bodied creatures in nature. This work may serve as a starting point for the development of lifelike soft robots with autonomous behaviors.

Authors

  • Hao Xu
    Department of Nuclear Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P.R.China.gdhyx2012@126.com.
  • Shengyu Bai
    State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
  • Guanyao Gu
    State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
  • Yuliang Gao
    State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
  • Xun Sun
    Guizhou Aerospace Institute of Measuring and Testing Technology, Guiyang 550009, P. R. China.
  • Xuhong Guo
    State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
  • Fuzhen Xuan
    Shanghai Key Laboratory for Intelligent Sensing and Detection Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
  • Yiming Wang
    Teaching Resource Information Service Center, Changchun Institute of Education, Changchun, China.

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