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Roadmap on soft robotics: multifunctionality, adaptability and growth without borders Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-08-23 Barbara Mazzolai, Alessio Mondini, Emanuela Del Dottore, Laura Margheri, Federico Carpi, Koichi Suzumori, Matteo Cianchetti, Thomas Speck, Stoyan K Smoukov, Ingo Burgert, Tobias Keplinger, Gilberto De Freitas Siqueira, Felix Vanneste, Olivier Goury, Christian Duriez, Thrishantha Nanayakkara, Bram Vanderborght, Joost Brancart, Seppe Terryn, Steven I Rich, Ruiyuan Liu, Kenjiro Fukuda, Takao Someya, Marcello
Soft robotics aims at creating systems with improved performance of movement and adaptability in unknown, challenging, environments and with higher level of safety during interactions with humans. This Roadmap on Soft Robotics covers selected aspects for the design of soft robots significantly linked to the area of multifunctional materials, as these are considered a fundamental component in the design
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Mechanical, electrochemical and multifunctional performance of a CFRP/carbon aerogel structural supercapacitor and its corresponding monofunctional equivalents Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-04-29 Maria Francesca Pernice, Guocheng Qi, Evgeny Senokos, David B Anthony, Sang Nguyen, Maria Valkova, Emile S Greenhalgh, Milo S P Shaffer, Anthony R J Kucernak
This work investigated and developed a protocol for establishing the multifunctional performance of a structural supercapacitor: a composite which can simultaneously carry mechanical load whilst storing electrical energy. The Structural Supercapacitor consisted of carbon aerogel (CAG) reinforced carbon fibre electrodes which sandwiched a woven glass fibre lamina and was infused with a structural electrolyte
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Origami-patterned capacitor with programmed strain sensitivity Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-04-21 Kristen L Dorsey, HuiYing Huang, Yuhan Wen
Origami patterns have previously been investigated for novel mechanical properties and applications to soft and deployable robotics. This work models and characterizes the mechanical and electrical properties of origami-patterned capacitive strain sensors. Miura-patterned capacitors with different fold angles are fabricated with a silicone body and foil electrodes. The planar strain sensitivity ratio
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Optically controlled grasping-slipping robot moving on tubular surfaces Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-03-29 Hongshuang Guo,Hao Zeng,Arri Priimagi
Abstract Stimuli-responsive polymers provide unmatched opportunities for remotely controlled soft robots navigating in complex environments. Many of the responsive-material-based soft robots can walk on open surfaces, with movement directionality dictated by the friction anisotropy at the robot-substrate interface. Translocation in one-dimensional space such as on a tubular surface is much more challenging
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Encapsulation and on-demand release of functional materials from conductive nanofibers via electrical signals Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-02-14 Yijun Chen, James G Boyd, Mohammad Naraghi
The goal of this research is to establish a highly compact on-demand release platform for functional materials where porous nanofibers serve as the host, heat-based release trigger and temperature controller for regulated release. The ability to store functional materials in fibers and release them on demand via external signals may open up new frontiers in areas such as smart textiles and autonomous
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Nonlinear one-dimensional constitutive model for magnetostrictive materials Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-02-08 Alecsander N Imhof, John P Domann
This paper presents an analytic model of one dimensional magnetostriction. We show how specific assumptions regarding the symmetry of key micromagnetic energies (magnetocrystalline, magnetoelastic, and Zeeman) reduce a general three-dimensional statistical mechanics model to a one-dimensional form with an exact solution. We additionally provide a useful form of the analytic equations to help ensure
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Platinum-binding peptides: understanding of selective binding and multifunctionality Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-02-02 Nuttanit Pramounmat, Katherine Yan, Jadon Wolf, Julie N Renner
Platinum-binding (Pt-binding) peptides have been used for fabrication of complex platinum nanomaterials such as catalysts, metallopharmaceuticals, and electrodes. In this review, we present an understanding of the mechanisms behind Pt-binding peptides and their applications as multifunctional biomaterials. We discuss how the surface recognition, roles of individual amino acids, and arrangement of amino
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Evaluating multifunctional efficiency of a structural battery composite via thermo-electro-chemical modeling Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-01-25 Jacob Eaton, Mohammad Naraghi, James G Boyd
The emerging research field of structural batteries aims to combine the functions of load bearing and energy storage to improve system-level energy storage in battery-powered vehicles and consumer products. Structural batteries, when implemented in electric vehicles, will be exposed to greater temperature fluctuations than conventional batteries in electric vehicles. However, there is a lack of knowledge
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3D printing of functional polymers for miniature machines Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-01-21 Neng Xia, Dongdong Jin, Veronica Iacovacci, Li Zhang
Miniature robots and actuators with micrometer or millimeter scale size can be driven by diverse power sources, e.g. chemical fuels, light, magnetic, and acoustic fields. These machines have the potential to access complex narrow spaces, execute medical tasks, perform environmental monitoring, and manipulate micro-objects. Recent advancements in 3D printing techniques have demonstrated great benefits
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Mixed magnetic edge states in graphene quantum dots Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2022-01-10 Junyao Li, Xiaofeng Liu, Lingyun Wan, Xinming Qin, Wei Hu, Jinlong Yang
Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) exhibit abundant magnetic edge states with promising applications in spintronics. Hexagonal zigzag GQDs possess a ground state with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) inter-edge coupling, followed by a metastable state with ferromagnetic (FM) inter-edge coupling. By analyzing the Hubbard model and performing large-scale spin-polarized density functional theory calculations containing
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Ultrafast, miniature soft actuators Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-10-28 Onur Bas, Benjamin Gorissen, Simon Luposchainsky, Tara Shabab, Katia Bertoldi, Dietmar W Hutmacher
The quest for an advanced soft robotic actuator technology that is fast and can execute a wide range of application-specific tasks at multiple length scales is still ongoing. Here, we demonstrate a new design and manufacturing strategy that leads to high-speed inflatable actuators exhibiting diverse movements. Our approach leverages the concept of miniaturisation to reduce the required volume of fluid
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Multifunctionality as design principle for contact lens materials Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-10-13 Hafeesudeen Sahabudeen, Rainhard Machatschek, Andreas Lendlein
From synthesis through storage to disposal, contact lenses (CLs) interact with different system environments throughout their functional life cycle. To fulfill their therapeutic purpose, they need to exhibit a distinct behavior in each of them, which is achieved through a combination of different material functions. As such, CL materials are a showcase of highly advanced and mass-produced multifunctional
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Glassy carbon electrode modified with luteolin extracted from Myoporum bontioides: a new approach for development of the electrochemical Cu2+ sensor Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-09-20 Hoang Vinh Tran, Minh Thi Tran, Toan Van Phi
Recent surveys have described how many extracted compounds from various plants have electrochemical activity, which can be directly applied for development of electrochemical sensors. In this work, we propose using of luteolin, a natural compound was extracted and isolated from Myoporum bontioides leaves, as a monomer for electrochemical polymerization onto glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface and
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Biphasic epoxy-ionic liquid structural electrolytes: minimising feature size through cure cycle and multifunctional block-copolymer addition Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-09-09 Quan Wendong, John Dent, Valeria Arrighi, Leide Cavalcanti, Milo S P Shaffer, Natasha Shirshova
Structural electrolytes provide mechanical properties approaching structural resin combined with a high degree of ionic conductivity. Here, structural electrolytes based on bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (EMIM-TFSI) were synthesised through reaction induced phase separation (RIPS) using isophorone diamine (iPDA) as a
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A screen-printing method for manufacturing of current collectors for structural batteries Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-09-09 Wilhelm Johannisson, David Carlstedt, Awista Nasiri, Christina Buggisch, Peter Linde, Dan Zenkert, Leif E Asp, Gran Lindbergh, Bodo Fiedler
Structural carbon fibre composite batteries are a type of multifunctional batteries that combine the energy storage capability of a battery with the load-carrying ability of a structural material. To extract the current from the structural battery cell, current collectors are needed. However, current collectors are expensive, hard to connect to the electrode material and add mass to the system. Further
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Multifunctional polyimides containing triarylamine for electrochromic flexible device, photodetector and resistance memory device Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-08-31 Yanyu Gao, Minghao Zhai, Yan Sui, Dongxu Li, Xiaoxue Lin, Shijia Pan, Qingjiang Pan, Haijun Niu, Wen Wang
Integrating different functions in one material will decrease the volume, responding time, and price of device. Polyimides (PIs) are the optimal candidates because of excellent flexible mechanics, thermal stability, and transparent properties. In this work, a series of multifunctional flexible PIs were designed and synthesized from a novel functional triarylamine for electrochromic (EC) device. The
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The influence of fabrication parameters on the electrochemical performance of multifunctional structural supercapacitors Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-08-31 Guocheng Qi, Sang Nguyen, David B Anthony, Anthony R J Kucernak, Milo S P Shaffer, Emile S Greenhalgh
Multifunctional structural supercapacitors based on carbon fibre electrodes (CF) and structural electrolytes (SEs) can realise multifunctionality by simultaneously bearing load and providing electrochemical energy storage. Structural supercapacitor constituents (i.e. electrodes and electrolytes) have undergone significant development to enhance their electrochemical and mechanical properties. However
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Magnetic field tuning of mechanical properties of ultrasoft PDMS-based magnetorheological elastomers for biological applications Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-08-26 Andy T Clark, Alexander Bennett, Emile Kraus, Katarzyna Pogoda, Andrejs Cēbers, Paul Janmey, Kevin T Turner, Elise A Corbin, Xuemei Cheng
We report tuning of the moduli and surface roughness of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) by varying applied magnetic field. Ultrasoft MREs are fabricated using a physiologically relevant commercial polymer, SylgardTM 527, and carbonyl iron powder (CIP). We found that the shear storage modulus, Young’s modulus, and root-mean-square surface roughness are increased by ∼41, ∼11, and ∼11, respectively
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Insights into nano-heterostructured materials for gas sensing: a review Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-08-25 Nirav Joshi, Maria Luisa Braunger, Flavio Makoto Shimizu, Antonio Riul Jr, Osvaldo N Oliveira Jr
Highly sensitive and selective gas sensors with low energy consumption and amenable to miniaturization are required for real-time gas monitoring applications. The challenge is to produce sensing units at a sufficiently low cost to allow for broad deployment, which can only be reached with efficient materials and fabrication procedures. In this context, metal oxides are promising for next-generation
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Hyaluronic acid-based supramolecular hydrogels for biomedical applications Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-08-24 Marko Mihajlovic, Liline Fermin, Keita Ito, Cornelus F van Nostrum, Tina Vermonden
Soft materials, such as hydrogels, are used as scaffolds in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to help tissues regenerate and heal. Recently, supramolecular hydrogels, based on non-covalent interactions, have grown in popularity, especially in the development of materials for biomedical use. Their potential lies in the dynamic, reversible and temporary nature of their crosslinks, which can
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Enhancement of gas storage and separation properties of microporous polymers by simple chemical modifications Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-06-07 Sbastien Rochat, Mi Tian, Ria Atri, Timothy J Mays, Andrew D Burrows
Owing to their large surface area and good solvent processability, polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) have been widely investigated for gas storage and separation processes. In this article, we show how chemically modifying the polymers can fine-tune their properties for specific, targeted applications. We find that converting the archetypal microporous polymer PIM-1 into a polycarboxylate
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Facile room-temperature synthesis of cobalt sulphide for efficient oxygen evolution reaction Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-06-07 Siyu Zhao, Manni Yang, Yeshu Tan, Dan J L Brett, Guanjie He, Ivan P Parkin
The electrolysis of water is one of the most promising strategies to produce renewable fuels and it is important to develop an energy-conserving, low-cost and easily prepared electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this work, Ni foam supported Co4S3 (Co4S3/NF) was fabricated by a facile one-step approach at room temperature and exhibited excellent OER performance in alkaline media.
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Linking physical objects to their digital twins via fiducial markers designed for invisibility to humans Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-06-07 Mathew Schwartz, Yong Geng, Hakam Agha, Rijeesh Kizhakidathazhath, Danqing Liu, Gabriele Lenzini, Jan P F Lagerwall
The ability to label and track physical objects that are assets in digital representations of the world is foundational to many complex systems. Simple, yet powerful methods such as bar- and QR-codes have been highly successful, e.g. in the retail space, but the lack of security, limited information content and impossibility of seamless integration with the environment have prevented a large-scale
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Enabling effective electrochemical healing of structural steel Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-05-13 Zakaria Hsain, Zhimin Jiang, James H Pikul
Low-carbon steel is a widely used structural metal that, when fractured, can be repaired with high temperature processes. There are many applications, however, that would benefit from a room-temperature repair process which maintains the steel microstructure and prevents nearby materials and electronics from overheating. This work seeks to enable effective room-temperature healing of steel by understanding
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Conformation tuning of simple non-fused electron acceptors via oxygen and sulfur substitutions and its effects on photovoltaics Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-04-15 Zhenghui Yao, Yaokai Li, Shuixing Li, Minmin Shi, Hongzheng Chen
By altering the number and position of oxygen and sulfur substitutions, four simple non-fused electron acceptors, PTO-4F, PDO-4F, PDS-4F and PTS-4F, were synthesized via feasible two-step reactions. These four acceptors serve as good molecular models to investigate the heteroatom effects on performance of organic solar cells (OSCs) based on their blends with typical polymer donor PBDB-T. The quantity
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Multifunctional polydopamine-based nanoparticles: synthesis, physico-chemical properties and applications for bimodal photothermal/photodynamic therapy of cancer Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-04-15 Islam Zmerli, Jean-Philippe Michel, Ali Makky
Polydopamine (PDA) is a mussel-inspired and a melanin-mimicking material that has attracted considerable attention during the recent years. This ‘polymer’ displays diverse promising properties, like its simple preparation procedures, easy functionalization, free radicals scavenging activity, outstanding photothermal and photoacoustic performance, and its great biocompatibility and biodegradability
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Bioinspired nanoantennas for opsin sensitization in optogenetic applications: a theoretical investigation Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-04-06 Carl H C Keck, Nicholas J Rommelfanger, Zihao Ou, Guosong Hong
Opsins with high sensitivity are desired to reduce dependence on optical fibers and enable deep-brain optogenetic stimulation through the intact scalp and skull, while minimizing brain tissue heating and the associated biasing of neural activity. While optimized opsin engineering has produced ultrasensitive and red-shifted opsins suitable for transcranial optogenetic stimulation, further improvements
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Multi-physics design optimization of structural battery Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-04-06 Reza Pejman, Emin Caglan Kumbur, Ahmad Raeisi Najafi
Structural battery composite is a new class of multifunctional lightweight materials with profound potential in harvesting electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, while simultaneously providing structural integrity to the system. In this study, we present a multi-physics design optimization framework for structural battery. The objective of the optimization framework is to change the geometrical
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Recent progress in self-healing conductive materials and flexible sensors with desired functional repairability Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-03-25 Cun Zhou, Jize Liu, Zhen Lv, Yongyue Luo, Xinxing Zhang
Flexible sensors with skin-like self-healing and sensing properties are now drawing great attention for their prospective application in many promising fields, including electronic skins, wearable electronics and soft robots. However, the unavoidable irregularity external stimuli and repetitive motions usually resulting in function loss. So, the self-healing abilities on both mechanical and electrical
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Recombinant major ampullate spidroin-particles as biotemplates for manganese carbonate mineralization Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-02-10 Vanessa J Neubauer, Christine Kellner, Viktoria Gruen, Anna S Schenk, Thomas Scheibel
Mineral deposition in biological systems is often templated by organic matrices including proteins directing the nucleation and growth of bioceramics by interacting with early stage species of the mineralization process or coordinating specific facets of the forming crystal. Structurally, charged surface patches are a characteristic motif of biomineralization-associated proteins, which are able to
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A healable polyethylene adhesive using poly(ethylene methacrylic acid) (EMAA) for three-layer pipe coatings Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Carmelo Dell’Olio, Jane Zhang, K H Leong, M Shamsul F Samsudin, Russell J Varley
Poly(ethylene methacrylic acid) (EMAA) has been used here as a thermally activated healing agent (HA) in three layered polyolefinic (3LPO) pipe coatings for the first time. The EMAA (HA) is blended with a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) modified with maleic anhydride (MAH) to create a healable multi-functional adhesive (HAMA), which is used to bind the fusion bonded epoxy primer and high density
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Multifunctional efficiency metric for structural supercapacitors Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-01-08 Tianyang Zhou, Emma Dickinson, James G Boyd, Jodie L Lutkenhaus, Dimitris C Lagoudas
A new energy-based multifunctional efficiency (MFE) metric is developed using micromechanics solutions for structural supercapacitors consisting of composite electrodes that can store electrical energy and sustain mechanical loads. MFE metrics quantify the volume and/or mass savings when structural and functional materials are replaced by multifunctional materials and evaluate the trade-off between
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Liquid metal architectures for soft and wearable energy harvesting devices Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2021-01-08 Mason Zadan, Cerwyn Chiew, Carmel Majidi, Mohammad H Malakooti
Future advanced wearable energy harvesters need to have high power densities, functionality under large deformations, scalability, and robust resistance against mechanical damages (i.e. fatigue, delamination, and fracture). To achieve this, ultra-flexible, high dielectric, and thermally conductive materials along with deformable and robust electrodes are needed. Here, we review recent progress in synthesis
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Sequential shapeshifting 4D printing: programming the pathway of multi-shape transformation by 3D printing stimuli-responsive polymers Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-12-18 Bangan Peng, Yunchong Yang, Kevin A Cavicchi
Four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology that integrates 3D printing and stimuli-responsive materials to fabricate reconfigurable 3D structures. Broadly speaking, the printed structures possess the ability to evolve their shape, properties, and/or function over time in response to an external stimulus. Compared to common 4D printing, sequential shapeshifting 4D printing not only defines
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Nanostructured polypyrrole layers implementation on magnetically navigable 3D printed microdevices for targeted gastrointestinal drug delivery Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-12-18 R Bernasconi, N Favara, N Fouladvari, M Invernizzi, M Levi, S Pane, L Magagnin
The integration of drug releasing polymeric layers on remotely navigable microcarriers is one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for a wide variety of diseases. Thanks to this approach, administration can be precisely targeted to a specific organ, limiting thus side effects and drug waste. In this context, the present work describes the fabrication of 3D printed and wet metallized microdevices
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Multifunctional magnetic soft composites: a review Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-12-18 Shuai Wu, Wenqi Hu, Qiji Ze, Metin Sitti, Ruike Zhao
Magnetically responsive soft materials are soft composites where magnetic fillers are embedded into soft polymeric matrices. These active materials have attracted extensive research and industrial interest due to their ability to realize fast and programmable shape changes through remote and untethered control under the application of magnetic fields. They would have many high-impact potential applications
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Conductive liquid metal elastomer thin films with multifunctional electro-mechanical properties Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-12-01 A B M Tahidul Haque, Ravi Tutika, Meng Gao, Angel Martinez, Julie Mills, J Arul Clement, Junfeng Gao, Mohsen Tabrizi, M Ravi Shankar, Qibing Pei, Michael D Bartlett
Wearable electronics, conformable sensors, and soft/micro-robotics require conductive yet stretchable thin films. However, traditional free standing metallic thin films are often brittle, inextensible, and must be processed in strict environments. This limits implementation into soft technologies where high electrical conductivity must be achieved while maintaining high compliance and conformability
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Multifunctional structural composites for thermal energy storage Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-11-24 Giulia Fredi, Andrea Dorigato, Luca Fambri, Alessandro Pegoretti
This review introduces the concept of thermal energy storage (TES) and phase change materials (PCMs), with a special focus on organic solid-liquid PCMs, their confinement methods and their thermal management (TM) applications al low-medium temperatures (0 C–100 C). It then investigates the approach of embedding TES and TM functionalities in structural materials, through the development of multifunctional
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Electro-chemo-mechanically coupled computational modelling of structural batteries Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-11-24 David Carlstedt, Kenneth Runesson, Fredrik Larsson, Johanna Xu, Leif E Asp
Structural batteries are multifunctional composites that combine load-bearing capacity with electro-chemical energy storage capability. The laminated architecture is considered in this paper, whereby restriction is made to a so called half-cell in order to focus on the main characteristics and provide a computational tool for future parameter studies. A thermodynamically consistent modelling approach
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Shape-programmable and healable materials and devices using thermo- and photo-responsive vitrimer Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-10-30 Xiao Kuang, Quanyi Mu, Devin J Roach, H Jerry Qi
Shape morphing materials have been extensively studied to control the formation of sophisticated three-dimensional (3D) structures and devices for a broad range of applications. Various methods, including the buckling of pre-strained bilayer composites, stimuli-responsive shape-shifting of shape memory polymers, and hydrogels, have been previously employed to transform 2D sheets to 3D structures and
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Materials, design, and fabrication of shape programmable polymers Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-09-01 Xiao Kuang,Devin J Roach,Craig M Hamel,Kai Yu,H Jerry Qi
Abstract Programmable matter is a class of materials whose properties can be programmed to achieve a specific state upon a stimulus. Among them, shape programmable materials can change their shape, topographical architecture, or dimension triggered by external stimuli after material fabrication, finding broad applications in smart devices, soft robotics, actuators, reconfigurable metamaterials, and
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Collagen–iron oxide nanoparticle based ferrogel: large reversible magnetostrains with potential for bioactuation Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-08-24 Philine Jauch, Andreas Weidner, Stefanie Riedel, Nils Wilharm, Silvio Dutz and Stefan G. Mayr
Smart materials such as stimuli responsive polymeric hydrogels offer unique possibilities for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. As, however, most synthetic polymer systems and their degradation products lack complete biocompatibility and biodegradability, this study aims to synthesize a highly magnetic responsive hydrogel, based on the abundant natural biopolymer collagen. As the main component
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Temporary tattoo as unconventional substrate for conformable and transferable electronics on skin and beyond Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-08-17 Laura M Ferrari, Kirill Keller, Bernhard Burtscher and Francesco Greco
In the growing field of conformable electronics, tattoo technology has emerged from among the various approaches so farHere, temporary tattoo paper is adopted as unconventional substrate to build up transferable body compliant devices, which establishes a stable and long-lasting interface with the skin. Tattoo-based devices have shown their capabilities in multiple fields, with the main application
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The potential of DNA origami to build multifunctional materials Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-07-15 Kosti Tapio and Ilko Bald
The development of the DNA origami technique has revolutionized the field of DNA nanotechnology as it allows to create virtually any arbitrarily shaped nanostructure out of DNA on a 10–100 nm length scale by a rather robust self-assembly process. Additionally, DNA origami nanostructures can be modified with chemical entities with nanometer precision, which allows to tune precisely their properties
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Performance of bicontinuous structural electrolytes Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-06-10 Vinh Tu, Leif E Asp, Natasha Shirshova, Fredrik Larsson, Kenneth Runesson and Ralf Jänicke
Structural power composites are multifunctional materials with simultaneous load bearing and energy storing functionality. This is made possible due to carbon fibers’ ability to act not only as structural reinforcement materials, but also as electrode components. A crucial component of structural power composites is the structural electrolyte that is required to have both high stiffness and high ionic
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Soft actuators using liquid crystal elastomers with encapsulated liquid metal joule heaters Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-06-10 Teresa A Kent, Michael J Ford, Eric J Markvicka and Carmel Majidi
We present a soft actuator composed of fluidic channels of liquid metal alloy embedded in a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE). The LM channels function as stretchable Joule heating elements that deliver heat to the LCE to induce a shape memory phase transition. Because the heater is fluidic, it can deform with the surrounding LCE as the actuator extends and contracts during actuation. In addition to contractile
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A residual performance methodology to evaluate multifunctional systems Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-06-10 Wilhelm Johannisson, Sang Nguyen, Göran Lindbergh, Dan Zenkert, Emile S Greenhalgh, Milo S P Shaffer and Anthony R J Kucernak
The development of multifunctional materials and structures is receiving increasing interest for many applications and industries; it is a promising way to increase system-wide efficiency and improve the ability to meet environmental targets. However, quantifying the advantages of a multifunctional solution over monofunctional systems can be challenging. One approach is to calculate a reduction in
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Bio-based composite hydrogels for biomedical applications Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-05-18 Sytze J Buwalda
Hydrogels are three-dimensional, water-swollen polymer networks that have been widely studied for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and the controlled delivery of biologically active agents. Since the pioneering work of Wichterle and Lim in the 1960s, hydrogel research has shifted from relatively simple single polymer networks to multifunctional composite hydrogels that better mimic
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Grand challenges in the design and manufacture of vascular self-healing Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-02-27 Isabel P S Qamar, Nancy R Sottos and Richard S Trask
This perspective details the grand challenges of designing and manufacturing multifunctional materials to impart autonomous property recovery. The susceptibility of advanced engineering composites to brittle fracture has led to the emergence of self-healing materials. This functionality has been demonstrated in bulk polymers and fibre-reinforced composites; most recently through the addition of vascular
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Effects of network structure on the mechanical and thermal responses of liquid crystal elastomers Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-02-04 Jennifer M Boothby, Tessa Van Volkenburg, Nam Q Le, Korine Ohiri, Matthew Hagedon and Zhiyong Xia
Thermoresponsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) have a high potential to be used for actuation applications. There has been a substantial amount of literature on synthesis of different LCE networks and their corresponding performance. However, much of the prior work focuses on the experimental aspect of the effects of mesogenic species, crosslinkers, and spacers on the thermal and mechanical response
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Damage-tolerant, laminated structural supercapacitor composites enabled by integration of carbon nanotube fibres Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-01-28 Moumita Rana, Yunfu Ou, Chenchen Meng, Federico Sket, Carlos González and Juan J Vilatela
A natural embodiment for multifunctional materials combining energy-storing capabilities and structural mechanical properties are layered structures, similar to both laminate structural composites and electrochemical energy-storage devices. A structural composite with integrated electric double layer capacitive storage is produced by resin infusion of a lay up including woven glass fabric used as mechanical
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Programming the time into 3D printing: current advances and future directions in 4D printing Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2020-01-21 Beijun Shen,Ozan Erol,Lichen Fang,Sung Hoon Kang
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Advanced functional materials for soft robotics: tuning physicochemical properties beyond rigidity control Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-12-31 Théo Calais,Pablo Valdivia y Alvarado
Reversibility, a key property in materials science and soft matter, is extremely desirable to enable advanced functionality in soft robots. So far, tunable rigidity has attracted most of the attention, notably for its application in novel soft actuators, soft grippers, and its potential impact in locomotion of soft and hybrid robotic devices. Herein, we review recent progress on reversibility in other
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Study of the piezoionic effect and influence of electrolyte in conducting polymer based soft strain sensors Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-12-11 Vincent Woehling,Giao T M Nguyen,Cedric Plesse,Yael Petel,Yuta Dobashi,John D W Madden,Carl A Michal,Frederic Vidal
Electronic Conducting Polymers (ECP) have been widely studied in a tri-layer configuration as soft, bending actuators. These electroactive materials have also been reported to behave as mechanical strain sensors able to convert mechanical stimulation into electrical signals. This sensing behavior is attributed to the so-called piezoionic effect and is observed and reported in most ionic electroactive
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Multifunctional composites: a metamaterial perspective Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-12-01 Reece L Lincoln,Fabrizio Scarpa,Valeska P Ting,Richard S Trask
Abstract Multifunctional composites offer the ability to increase the efficiency, autonomy and lifespan of a structure by performing functions that would have been considered by designers as mutually exclusive. In the present perspective paper, a subclass of multifunctional composites is considered: metamaterials. In this perspective, a multifunctional composite is defined as ‘made of two or more materials
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Optimized microstructures for multifunctional structural electrolytes Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-11-18 Chanhui Lee,Emile S Greenhalgh,Milo S P Shaffer,Ajit Panesar
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A square tubular conducting polymer actuator for smart catheter application Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-10-16 Lei Zhao,Ying Yang,Yimin Hu,Cheng Li,Yanxiao Wu,Ming Ren,Wei Chen
Flexible micro-catheter for minimally invasive medical diagnosis and therapy is highly desirable, but still a challenge. Here, an active interventional micro-catheter based on square tubular conducting polymer actuator is developed. This actuator is composed of two conducting polymer composite electrodes and a square tubular gel polymer electrolyte layer between the electrodes layer. To fabricate the
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Review: Voltage induced strain control of magnetization: computing and other applications Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-09-10 Dhritiman Bhattacharya,Supriyo Bandyopadhyay,Jayasimha Atulasimha
Strain and acoustic waves provide extremely energy efficient means to control magnetization in nanoscale and microscale magnetostrictive materials and devices. This could enable myriad applications such as non-volatile memory, neuromorphic computing, microfluidics, microscale and nanoscale motors, and generation of electromagnetic waves with sub-wavelength antenna. In this review, we discuss developments
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Model of a structural battery and its potential for system level mass savings Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-09-10 Wilhelm Johannisson,Dan Zenkert,Göran Lindbergh
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On the route to produce conductive Ni-related color centers in CVD-grown diamond Multifunct. Mater. Pub Date : 2019-07-10 Rocco Carcione,Emanuela Tamburri,Ruben Bartali,Giorgio Speranza,Victor Micheli,Giancarlo Pepponi,Pierluigi Bellutti,Maria Letizia Terranova