Multitemperature Responsive Self‐Folding Soft Biomimetic Structures

Untethered, millimeter‐scale, stimuli‐responsive shape change structures are critical to the function of autonomous devices, smart materials, and soft robotics. Temperature in a range compatible with physiological or ambient environmental conditions is an excellent cue to trigger actuation of soft s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Macromolecular rapid communications. 2018-02, Vol.39 (4), p.n/a
Main Authors: Kobayashi, Kunihiko, Oh, Seung Hyun, Yoon, ChangKyu, Gracias, David H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actuation
Biomimetics
Copolymerization
Environmental conditions
Ethylene glycol
Folding
Gels
poly[oligo (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate]
Polyethylene glycol
shape change
Smart materials
soft actuators
soft robotics
stimuli‐responsive materials
Surgery
Temperature
Temperature effects
Tissue engineering
Transition temperature
Transition temperatures
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Summary:Untethered, millimeter‐scale, stimuli‐responsive shape change structures are critical to the function of autonomous devices, smart materials, and soft robotics. Temperature in a range compatible with physiological or ambient environmental conditions is an excellent cue to trigger actuation of soft structures for practical biomimetic applications. Previously, a range of thermally responsive self‐folding soft structures has been described and utilized in a variety of applications from tissue engineering to minimally invasive surgery. In order to extend these concepts to more complex devices, thermally responsive bilayer structures composed of poly[oligo (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (POEGMA) gels that swell at three different temperatures are described. The lower critical solution temperature and volume transition temperature of POEGMA are tuned by varying the side chain length and the extent of copolymerization. The swelling properties of the POEGMA gels are characterized and a multilayer photopatterning process is described that is used to create soft biomimetic structures that change shape in a sequential manner while displaying multistate behaviors. Multitemperature responsive soft biomimetic structures composed of hydrogel bilayers of poly[oligo (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] with tunable volume transition temperatures are demonstrated. Integrated photopatterned structures, such as soft grippers, frog, and muscle mimetic structures show autonomous multistate and sequential actuation on heating and cooling.
ISSN:1022-1336
1521-3927
DOI:10.1002/marc.201700692