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Vol. 15 (2023)

Bioinspired MXene-Based Soft Actuators Exhibiting Angle-Independent Structural Color

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-022-00977-4
Pan Xue
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
Yuanhao Chen
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
Yiyi Xu
Institute of Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, and Jiangsu Province Hi, Nanjing 211189, People’s Republic of China
Cristian Valenzuela
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
Xuan Zhang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
Hari Krishna Bisoyi
Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
Xiao Yang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
Ling Wang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
Xinhua Xu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
Quan Li
Institute of Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, and Jiangsu Province Hi, Nanjing 211189, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Quan Li

quanli3273@gmail.com

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 15 (2023), Article Number: 1

Abstract

In nature, many living organisms exhibiting unique structural coloration and soft-bodied actuation have inspired scientists to develop advanced structural colored soft actuators toward biomimetic soft robots. However, it is challenging to simultaneously biomimic the angle-independent structural color and shape-morphing capabilities found in the plum-throated cotinga flying bird. Herein, we report biomimetic MXene-based soft actuators with angle-independent structural color that are fabricated through controlled self-assembly of colloidal SiO2 nanoparticles onto highly aligned MXene films followed by vacuum-assisted infiltration of polyvinylidene fluoride into the interstices. The resulting soft actuators are found to exhibit brilliant, angle-independent structural color, as well as ultrafast actuation and recovery speeds (a maximum curvature of 0.52 mm−1 can be achieved within 1.16 s, and a recovery time of ~ 0.24 s) in response to acetone vapor. As proof-of-concept illustrations, structural colored soft actuators are applied to demonstrate a blue gripper-like bird’s claw that can capture the target, artificial green tendrils that can twine around tree branches, and an artificial multicolored butterfly that can flutter its wings upon cyclic exposure to acetone vapor. The strategy is expected to offer new insights into the development of biomimetic multifunctional soft actuators for somatosensory soft robotics and next-generation intelligent machines.


Highlights:


1 Design and fabrication of MXene-based soft actuators with angle-independent structural color.
2 The nanostructured MXene can not only facilitate the formation of short-range ordered 3D amorphous photonic crystals, but also help significantly improve structural color saturation.
3 The soft actuators exhibit brilliant angle-independent structural color, ultrafast actuation and recovery speeds in response to vapor.

Keywords

Bioinspired soft actuator Angle-independent structural color MXene liquid crystals Soft robotics
Xue, Pan, Yuanhao Chen, Yiyi Xu, Cristian Valenzuela, Xuan Zhang, Hari Krishna Bisoyi, Xiao Yang, Ling Wang, Xinhua Xu, and Quan Li. 2022. “Bioinspired MXene-Based Soft Actuators Exhibiting Angle-Independent Structural Color”. Nano-Micro Letters 15 (December):1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-022-00977-4.
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