Humidity, Electric Field, and Thermo-Responsive Soft Actuators from Chitosan and Modularly Designed Multinetwork Composite Architectures
Abstract
Hydrogel polymer networks are commonly used in applications such as soft contact lenses due to their capability of swelling and retaining a large volume of water, and they have received significant attention due to their range of applications (e.g., biomedical scaffolding, drug delivery, food packaging). A common issue with hydrogels is their characteristically weak mechanical strength, but these properties also create opportunities for developing actuators and sensors for various applications, from optical to dielectric to pressure, in the soft forces limit. A prevailing design strategy for improved hydrogel strength is the double-network system wherein a first hydrogel network is swollen with a precursor solution for a second network which is then crosslinked to create two interpenetrating networks. However, analogous double-network systems where the first network is not a hydrogel (e.g., a covalent organic framework) are less common, especially in the context of soft actuation, smart optics, etc.—the theme of our proposed research. Soft actuation has garnered substantial interest in fields ranging from artificial muscles and flexible electronics to security and surveillance, and a plethora of architectures and actuation modalities have been explored.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2025
- Source ID
- FA95502510049
Entities
People
- Alamgir Karim
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Houston System