Du Xiushang, Zhao Zhenjie, Zhang Xuhang, Zhu Jingyi, Liu Yingdan
Center for Advanced Structural Materials, State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Aug 15;17(16):2228. doi: 10.3390/polym17162228.
Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are a type of smart materials formed by dispersing magneto-responsive micron particles in an elastic polymer matrix. They hold significant potential for various applications due to their tunable stiffness, capability to carry out non-contact actuation, and rapid responsiveness to magnetic fields. However, weak interfacial interactions and poor dispersion of magnetic particles within the polymer matrix often lead to diminished magnetorheological (MR) performance. In this study, carbonyl iron powder (CIP) was chemically modified via polydopamine (PDA) deposition followed by grafting with isobutyl (trimethoxy)silane (IBTMO) to enhance its compatibility with a silicone-based matrix. The resulting anisotropic MREs fabricated using the dual-modified CIP exhibited a reduced elastic modulus, enhanced elongation, a large magnetically induced bending angle of 38°, and a notably improved MR effect of 246.8%. Furthermore, a magnetic soft actuator was designed based on the anisotropic dual-modified CIP-based MRE. When used as flippers for a duck model, the actuator successfully propelled a load approximately 76.8 times its own weight at a speed of 3.48 mm/s, thereby demonstrating promising potential for applications requiring load-bearing actuation.
磁流变弹性体（MREs）是一种通过将磁响应微米级颗粒分散在弹性聚合物基体中形成的智能材料。由于其可调刚度、能够进行非接触驱动以及对磁场的快速响应能力，它们在各种应用中具有巨大潜力。然而，聚合物基体中磁颗粒的界面相互作用较弱且分散性较差，这往往会导致磁流变（MR）性能下降。在本研究中，通过聚多巴胺（PDA）沉积对羰基铁粉（CIP）进行化学改性，然后用异丁基（三甲氧基）硅烷（IBTMO）接枝，以增强其与硅基基体的相容性。使用双改性CIP制备的各向异性MREs表现出降低的弹性模量、增强的伸长率、38°的大磁致弯曲角以及显著提高的246.8%的MR效应。此外，基于各向异性双改性CIP基MRE设计了一种磁性软致动器。当用作鸭模型的鳍状肢时，该致动器以3.48 mm/s的速度成功推动了约为其自身重量76.8倍的负载，并因此在需要承重驱动的应用中显示出了广阔的应用前景。
