Bio-Inspired Soft Robotics: Tunable Photo-Actuation Behavior of Azo Chromophore Containing Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1233
Author(s):  
Ganesh Shimoga ◽  
Dong-Soo Choi ◽  
Sang-Youn Kim
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Technical Note ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Stimuli Responsive Polymers ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Azo Chromophore

Bio-inspiration relentlessly sparks the novel ideas to develop innovative soft robotic structures from smart materials. The conceptual soft robotic designs inspired by biomimetic routes have resulted in pioneering research contributions based on the understanding of the material selection and actuation properties. In an attempt to overcome the hazardous injuries, soft robotic systems are used subsequently to ensure safe human–robot interaction. In contrast to dielectric elastomer actuators, prolific efforts were made by understanding the photo-actuating properties of liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) containing azo-derivatives to construct mechanical structures and tiny portable robots for specific technological applications. The structure and material properties of these stimuli-responsive polymers can skillfully be controlled by light. In this short technical note, we highlight the potential high-tech importance and the photo-actuation behavior of some remarkable LCEs with azobenzene chromophores.

scholarly journals Stimuli-Responsive Materials for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (13) ◽  
pp. 4724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Municoy ◽  
María I. Álvarez Echazú ◽  
Pablo E. Antezana ◽  
Juan M. Galdopórpora ◽  
Christian Olivetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Controlled Drug Release ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Responsive Materials ◽  
Stimuli Responsive Polymers ◽  
Responsive Polymers ◽  
Stimuli Response ◽  
Materials Used

Smart or stimuli-responsive materials are an emerging class of materials used for tissue engineering and drug delivery. A variety of stimuli (including temperature, pH, redox-state, light, and magnet fields) are being investigated for their potential to change a material’s properties, interactions, structure, and/or dimensions. The specificity of stimuli response, and ability to respond to endogenous cues inherently present in living systems provide possibilities to develop novel tissue engineering and drug delivery strategies (for example materials composed of stimuli responsive polymers that self-assemble or undergo phase transitions or morphology transformations). Herein, smart materials as controlled drug release vehicles for tissue engineering are described, highlighting their potential for the delivery of precise quantities of drugs at specific locations and times promoting the controlled repair or remodeling of tissues.

Synthesis of Reversibly Photocleavable Pseudo-Ladder Polymers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Ji ◽  
Oka Minami ◽  
Satoshi Honda
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Stimuli Responsive Polymers ◽  
Responsive Polymers ◽  
Ladder Polymers

Design of stimuli-responsive polymers derived from reversibly cleavable main chains provides a strategy for fabricating smart materials with responsive properties and functions upon desired stimuli. Herein, we report the synthesis...

Amino-functional polyethers: versatile, stimuli-responsive polymers

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 3940-3950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Verkoyen ◽  
Holger Frey
Keyword(s):  
Ring Opening ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
New Class ◽  
Stimuli Responsive Polymers ◽  
Responsive Polymers

Amino-functional polyethers have emerged as a new class of “smart”, i.e. pH- and thermoresponsive materials. This review article summarizes the synthesis and applications of these materials, obtained from ring-opening of suitable epoxide monomers.

4D printing technology, modern era: A short review

2020 ◽  
pp. 92-111
Author(s):  
Khodadad Mostakim ◽  
Nahid Imtiaz Masuk ◽  
Md. Rakib Hasan ◽  
Md. Shafikul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
4D Printing ◽  
Space Applications ◽  
Printing Technology ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Biomedical Technologies ◽  
Novel Material

The advancement in 3D printing has led to the rapid growth of 4D printing technology. Adding time, as the fourth dimension, this technology ushered the potential of a massive evolution in fields of biomedical technologies, space applications, deployable structures, manufacturing industries, and so forth. This technology performs ingenious design, using smart materials to create advanced forms of the 3-D printed specimen. Improvements in Computer-aided design, additive manufacturing process, and material science engineering have ultimately favored the growth of 4-D printing innovation and revealed an effective method to gather complex 3-D structures. Contrast to all these developments, novel material is still a challenging sector. However, this short review illustrates the basic of 4D printing, summarizes the stimuli responsive materials properties, which have prominent role in the field of 4D technology. In addition, the practical applications are depicted and the potential prospect of this technology is put forward.

Smart Drug Release Systems Based on Stimuli-Responsive Polymers

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1369-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangyan Qing ◽  
Minmin Li ◽  
Lijing Deng ◽  
Ziyu Lv ◽  
Peng Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Release ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Stimuli Responsive Polymers ◽  
Responsive Polymers ◽  
Smart Drug

scholarly journals Thermo- and Photoresponsive Behaviors of Dual-Stimuli-Responsive Organogels Consisting of Homopolymers of Coumarin-Containing Methacrylate

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 329
Author(s):  
Seidai Okada ◽  
Eriko Sato
Keyword(s):  
Functional Group ◽  
Solution Temperature ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Critical Solution Temperature ◽  
Equilibrium Degree ◽  
Stimuli Responsive Polymers ◽  
Responsive Polymers ◽  
Dual Functional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Increasing Temperature

Coumarin-containing vinyl homopolymers, such as poly(7-methacryloyloxycoumarin) (P1a) and poly(7-(2′-methacryloyloxyethoxy)coumarin) (P1b), show a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in chloroform, which can be controlled by the [2 + 2] photochemical cycloaddition of the coumarin moiety, and they are recognized as monofunctional dual-stimuli-responsive polymers. A single functional group of monofunctional dual-stimuli-responsive polymers responds to dual stimuli and can be introduced more uniformly and densely than those of dual-functional dual-stimuli-responsive polymers. In this study, considering a wide range of applications, organogels consisting of P1a and P1b, i.e., P1a-gel and P1b-gel, respectively, were synthesized, and their thermo- and photoresponsive behaviors in chloroform were investigated in detail. P1a-gel and P1b-gel in a swollen state (transparent) exhibited phase separation (turbid) through a temperature jump and reached a shrunken state (transparent), i.e., an equilibrium state, over time. Moreover, the equilibrium degree of swelling decreased non-linearly with increasing temperature. Furthermore, different thermoresponsive sites were photopatterned on the organogel through the photodimerization of the coumarin unit. The organogels consisting of homopolymers of coumarin-containing methacrylate exhibited unique thermo- and photoresponsivities and behaved as monofunctional dual-stimuli-responsive organogels.

scholarly journals A Highly Versatile Polymer Network Based on Liquid Crystalline Dendrimers

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5740
Author(s):  
Ramón Cervera-Procas ◽  
José-Luis Serrano ◽  
Ana Omenat
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Organic Dyes ◽  
Polymer Network ◽  
Viscoelastic Behavior ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Polymeric Systems ◽  
System A ◽  
Porous Microstructure ◽  
Solvent Molecules

Highly functional macromolecules with a well-defined architecture are the key to designing efficient and smart materials, and these polymeric systems can be tailored for specific applications in a diverse range of fields. Herein, the formation of a new liquid crystalline polymeric network based on the crosslinking of dendrimeric entities by the CuI-catalyzed variant of the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides and alkynes to afford 1,2,3-triazoles is reported. The polymeric material obtained in this way is easy to process and exhibits a variety of properties, which include mesomorphism, viscoelastic behavior, and thermal contraction. The porous microstructure of the polymer network determines its capability to absorb solvent molecules and to encapsulate small molecules, like organic dyes, which can be released easily afterwards. Moreover, all these properties may be easily tuned by modifying the chemical structure of the constituent dendrimers, which makes this system a very interesting one for a number of applications.

Azobenzene Crystal Polymorphism Enables Tuneable Photoinduced Deformation, Mechanical Behaviors and Photoluminescent Properties

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunhui Hao ◽  
Lei Gao ◽  
Xiunan Zhang ◽  
Rongli Wei ◽  
Ting Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Molecular Crystals ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Mechanical Behaviors ◽  
Crystal Polymorphism

Stimuli-responsive molecular crystals are fascinating for their potential as adaptive smart materials. However, achieving one crystal that could respond to multiple stimuli and perform multiple functionalities simultaneously is still challenging....

scholarly journals Luminescent Supramolecular Nano- or Microstructures Formed in Aqueous Media by Amphiphile-Noble Metal Complexes

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Cretu ◽  
Loredana Maiuolo ◽  
Domenico Lombardo ◽  
Elisabeta I. Szerb ◽  
Pietro Calandra
Keyword(s):  
Noble Metal ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Noble Metals ◽  
Photophysical Properties ◽  
Aqueous Media ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Panoramic View ◽  
Amphiphilic Molecules

The involvement of metal ions within the self-assembly spontaneously occurring in surfactant-based systems gives additional and interesting features. The electronic states of the metal, together with the bonds that can be established with the organic amphiphilic counterpart, are the factors triggering new photophysical properties. Moreover, the availability of stimuli-responsive supramolecular amphiphile assemblies, able to disassemble in a back-process, provides reversible switching particularly useful in novel approaches and applications giving rise to truly smart materials. In particular, small amphiphiles with an inner distribution, within their molecular architecture, of various polar and apolar functional groups, can give a wide variety of interactions and therefore enriched self-assemblies. If it is joined with the opportune presence and localization of noble metals, whose chemical and photophysical properties are undiscussed, then very interesting materials can be obtained. In this minireview, the basic concepts on self-assembly of small amphiphilic molecules with noble metals are shown with particular reference to the photophysical properties aiming at furnishing to the reader a panoramic view of these exciting problematics. In this respect, the following will be shown: (i) the principles of self-assembly of amphiphiles that involve noble metals, (ii) examples of amphiphiles and amphiphile-noble metal systems as representatives of systems with enhanced photophysical properties, and (iii) final comments and perspectives with some examples of modern applications.

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