Diao Siyuan, Meng Lili, Pelicano Christian Mark, Huang Jiajia, Tian Zhihong, Lai Feili, Liu Tianxi, Cao Shaokui
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, P. R. China.
Department of Colloid Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, Potsdam 14476, Germany.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Aug 21;16(33):44067-44076. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c09539. Epub 2024 Aug 12.
Photothermal responsive hydrogels are widely used in bionic soft actuators due to their remote-controlled capabilities and flexibility. However, their weak mechanical properties and limited responsiveness hinder their potential applications. To overcome this, we developed an innovative laponite/MXene/PNIPAm (LMPN) nanocomposite hydrogel that is mechanically robust and exhibits excellent photothermally responsive properties based on abundant hydrogen bonds. Notably, laponite clay is used as a co-cross-linking agent to improve the mechanical properties of LMPN hydrogel, while MXene nanosheets are added to promote the photothermal responsiveness. The resulting LMPN nanocomposite hydrogel exhibits enhanced mechanical properties, with a compressive strength of 0.201 MPa, a tensile strength of 90 kPa, and a fracture toughness of 27.25 kJ m. In addition, the LMPN hydrogel displays a deswelling ratio of 73.6% within 60 s and experiences an excellent volume shrinkage of 82.4% under light irradiation. Furthermore, hydrogel actuators with fast response behaviors are constructed and employed as grippers capable of grasping and releasing target objects. Overall, this high-strength and fast-responsive hydrogel actuator is beneficial to paving the way for remote controlled soft robots.
光热响应水凝胶因其远程控制能力和柔韧性而被广泛应用于仿生软驱动器中。然而，它们较弱的机械性能和有限的响应性阻碍了其潜在应用。为了克服这一问题，我们开发了一种创新的锂皂石/碳化钛铝/聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺（LMPN）纳米复合水凝胶，该水凝胶基于丰富的氢键具有机械强度高和优异的光热响应性能。值得注意的是，锂皂石粘土用作共交联剂以改善LMPN水凝胶的机械性能，同时添加碳化钛铝纳米片以促进光热响应性。所得的LMPN纳米复合水凝胶表现出增强的机械性能，抗压强度为0.201MPa，拉伸强度为90kPa，断裂韧性为27.25kJ/m。此外，LMPN水凝胶在60秒内的溶胀率为73.6%，在光照下体积收缩率高达82.4%。此外，构建了具有快速响应行为的水凝胶驱动器，并将其用作能够抓取和释放目标物体的夹具。总体而言，这种高强度和快速响应的水凝胶驱动器有利于为遥控软机器人铺平道路。
