As a kind of ionic artificial muscle material,Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites(IPMCs)have the advantages of a low drive current,light weight,and significant flexibility.IPMCs are widely used in the fields of biomedicine...As a kind of ionic artificial muscle material,Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites(IPMCs)have the advantages of a low drive current,light weight,and significant flexibility.IPMCs are widely used in the fields of biomedicine,soft robots,etc.However,the displacement and blocking force of the traditional sheet-type Nafion-IPMC need to be improved,and it has the limitation of unidirectional actuation.In this paper,a new type of short side chain Aquivion material is used as the polymer in the IPMC.The cylindrical IPMC is prepared by extrusion technology to improve its actuation performance and realize multi-degree-of-freedom motion.In comparison to the traditional Nafion-IPMC,the ion exchange capacity,specific capacitance,and conductivity of Aquivion-IPMC are improved by 28%,27%,and 32%,respectively,and the displacement and blocking force are improved by 57%and 25%,respectively.The cylindrical actuators can be deflected in eight directions.This indicates that Aquivion,as a polymer membrane for IPMC,holds significant application potential.By designing a cylindrical IPMC electrode distribution,the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection of IPMC can be realized.展开更多
Minimally invasive interventional surgery techniques using guidewire-based catheters are widely adopted to treat vascular diseases.However,commonly used interventional catheters lack active guidance.The use of guidewi...Minimally invasive interventional surgery techniques using guidewire-based catheters are widely adopted to treat vascular diseases.However,commonly used interventional catheters lack active guidance.The use of guidewires is associated with risks,including increased exposure to X-rays and potential vascular damage during withdrawal from complex vessels.Herein,we developed sub-millimeter microtubular ionic actuators(0.6-0.8 mm outer diameter)integrated into steerable interventional catheters.These actuators can generate large deformations(>10 mm)under 7 V direct current due to enhanced ion migration,enabling precise navigation without the need for guidewires.The designed catheters achieved active bending and accurate positioning in complex arterial vascular branches within a human model.They were also able to navigate within different arterial locations(e.g.,the innominate,subclavian,and carotid arteries)in pigs without the use of guidewires,and even access the ventricle and deliver contrast medium,indicating their great potential for future endovascular therapy.展开更多
The development of actuators based on ionic polymers as soft robotics,artificial muscles,and sensors is currently considered one of the most urgent topics.They are lightweight materials,in addition to their high effic...The development of actuators based on ionic polymers as soft robotics,artificial muscles,and sensors is currently considered one of the most urgent topics.They are lightweight materials,in addition to their high efficiency,and they can be controlled by a low power source.Nevertheless,the most popular ionic polymers are derived from fossil-based resources.Hence,it is now deemed crucial to produce these actuators using sustainable materials.In this review,the use of ionic polymeric materials as actuators is reviewed through the emphasis on their role in the domain of renewablematerials.The reviewencompasses recent advancements inmaterial formulation and performance enhancement,alongside a comparative analysis with conventional actuator systems.It was found that renewable polymeric actuators based on ionic gels and conductive polymers are easier to prepare compared to ionic polymermetal composites.In addition,the proportion of actuator manufacturing utilizing renewable materials rose to 90%,particularly for ion gel actuators,which was related to the possibility of using renewable polymers as ionic or conductive substances.Moreover,the possible improvements in biopolymeric actuators will experience an annual rise of at least 10%over the next decade,correlating with the growth of their market,which aligns with the worldwide goal of reducing global warming.Additionally,compared to fossil-derived polymers,the decomposition rate of renewable materials reaches 100%,while biodegradable fossil-based substances can exceed 60%within several weeks.Ultimately,this review aims to elucidate the potential of ionic polymeric materials as a viable and sustainable solution for future actuator technologies.展开更多
In order to further improve the driving performance of ionic polymer metal composites(IPMCs),Nafion/graphene quantum dots(GQDs)hybrid membranes incorporating GQDs with various contents of 0,0.1 wt.%,0.5 wt.%,1.0 wt.%,...In order to further improve the driving performance of ionic polymer metal composites(IPMCs),Nafion/graphene quantum dots(GQDs)hybrid membranes incorporating GQDs with various contents of 0,0.1 wt.%,0.5 wt.%,1.0 wt.%,2.0 wt.%and 4.0 wt.%were fabricated by solution casting,and then IPMCs were manufactured by electroless plating.The water contents and elastic moduli of the hybrid membranes were tested.The morphology characteristics of the hybrid membranes and the IPMCs were observed,and the current,AC impedance,blocking force and displacement of the IPMCs were measured.The results show that the elastic modulus of the hybrid membranes decreases,the water content increases,and the actuation performance of the IPMCs improves significantly after the addition of GQDs.IPMC with 1.0 wt.%GQDs exhibits the best driving property.Compared with the IPMC without GQDs,the working current,ion conductivity,blocking force,and tip displacement increase by 94.67%,311.11%,53.66%,and 66.07%,respectively.These results lay a solid foundation for the preparation of IPMCs with high performance,and further broaden their applications in biomedical devices and bionic robots.展开更多
This paper develops analytical electromechanical formulas to predict the mechanical deformation of ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) cantilever actuators under DC excitation voltages. In this research, IPMC samples...This paper develops analytical electromechanical formulas to predict the mechanical deformation of ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) cantilever actuators under DC excitation voltages. In this research, IPMC samples with Pt and Ag electrodes were manufactured, and the large nonlinear deformation and the effect of curvature on surface electrode resistance of the IPMC samples were investigated experimentally and theoretically. A distributed electrical model was modified for calculating the distribution of voltage along the bending actuator. Then an irreversible thermodynamic model that could predict the curvature of a unit part of an IPMC actuator is combined with the electrical model so that an analytical electromechanical model is developed. The electromechanical model is then validated against the experimental results obtained from Pt- and Ag-IPMC actuators under various excitation voltages. The good agreement between the electromechanical model and the actuators shows that the analytical electromechanical model can accurately describe the large nonlinear quasi-static deflection behavior of IPMC actuators.展开更多
This study presents an electromechanical engineering model for the analysis of the large deflection curves of ionic polymer-metal composite(IPMC)cantilever actuators under direct current(DC)voltages.In this paper,the ...This study presents an electromechanical engineering model for the analysis of the large deflection curves of ionic polymer-metal composite(IPMC)cantilever actuators under direct current(DC)voltages.In this paper,the longitudinal normal strain performance of the material was investigated using digital image correlation on a micro-scale.The deflection of the actuator is analytically obtained with the application of an elliptic integration method based on the relationship between strain gradient and excitation voltage,and the minimum excitation voltage is derived based on the assumption that the actuators have small deformations.The validity of the electromechanical model is then justified with the experimental results obtained from Pt-and Ag-IPMC actuators at various excitation voltages.The findings of this study confirm that the introduced electromechanical model can accurately describe the large nonlinear deflection behavior of IPMC actuators.展开更多
A new type of soft actuator material-ionic liquid gel （ILG）, which consists of HEMA, BMIMBF4, and TiO2, can be transformed into gel state under the irradiation of ultraviolet （UV） light. In this paper, Mooney-Rivl...A new type of soft actuator material-ionic liquid gel （ILG）, which consists of HEMA, BMIMBF4, and TiO2, can be transformed into gel state under the irradiation of ultraviolet （UV） light. In this paper, Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic model of finite element method is proposed for the first time to study the properties of the ILG. It has been proved that the content of TiO2 has a great influence on the properties of the gel, and Young＇s modulus of the gel increases with the increase of its content, despite of reduced tensile deformation. The results in this work show that when the TiO2 content is 1.0 wt%, a large tensile deformation and a strong Young＇s modulus can be obtained to be 325% and 7.8 kPa, respectively. The material parameters of ILG with TiO2 content values of 0.2 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, and 1.5 wt% are obtained, respectively, through uniaxial tensile tests, including C10, C01, C20, C11, C02, C30, C21, C12, and C03 elements. In this paper, the large-scaled general finite element software ANSYS is used to simulate and analyze the ILG, which is based on SOLID186 element and nonlinear hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin model. The finite element simulation analysis based stress-strain curves are almost consistent with the experimental stress-strain curves, and hence the finite element analysis of ILG is feasible and credible. This work presents a new direction for studying the performance of soft actuator for the ILG, and also contributes to the design of soft robot actuator.展开更多
For promising applications such as soft robotics,flexible haptic monitors,and active biomedical devices,it is important to develop ultralow voltage,highly-performant artificial muscles with high bending strains,rapid ...For promising applications such as soft robotics,flexible haptic monitors,and active biomedical devices,it is important to develop ultralow voltage,highly-performant artificial muscles with high bending strains,rapid response times,and superior actuation endurance.We report a novel highly performant and low-cost artificial muscle based on microfibrillated cellulose(MFC),ionic liquid(IL),and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA),The proposed MFC-IL-PVA actuator exhibits excellent electro-chemical performance and actuations characteristics with a high specific capacitance of 225 mF/cm2,a large bending strain of 0.51%,peak displacement up to 7.02 mm at 0.25 V ultra-low voltage,outstanding actuation flexural endurance(99.1%holding rate for 3 h),and a wide frequency band(0.1-5 Hz).These attributes stem mainly from its high specific surface area and porosity,tunable mechanical properties,and the strong ionic interactions of cations and anions with MFC and PVA in ionic liquids.Furthermore,bionic applications such as bionic flytraps,bionic butterflies with vibrating wings,and smart circuit switches have been successfully realized using this technology.These specific bionic applications demonstrate the versatility and potential of the MFC-IL-PVA actuator,highlighting its important role in the fields of bionic engineering,robotics,and smart materials.They open up new possibilities for innovative scientific research and technological applications.展开更多
This research article introduces an electroactive actuator based on sulfonated chitosan(SCS),ionic liquid and graphene oxide(GO).To maintain the biocompatibility of the chitosan and to increase the actuation performan...This research article introduces an electroactive actuator based on sulfonated chitosan(SCS),ionic liquid and graphene oxide(GO).To maintain the biocompatibility of the chitosan and to increase the actuation performance,a biocompatible ionic liquid such as ethyl,methylimidazolium-trifluoro methane sulfonated(EMI-TFMS)as mobile solvent was used for dry-type actuation.And GO-reinforced SCS films obtained through a simple solvent casting method were extensively investigated because of better electro-chemo-mechanical properties and higher actuation performances.Field-emission scanning electron microscope(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),and Raman spectra were used to investigate the interaction mechanism between GO and SCS.The harmonic and step responses of GO and SCS composite actuator show large bending deformations under low electric voltage.展开更多
Soft actuators based on cellulose with highly electro-responsive properties have attracted significant attention in the fields of wearable devices,medical and healthcare devices,soft robots,and human-computer interact...Soft actuators based on cellulose with highly electro-responsive properties have attracted significant attention in the fields of wearable devices,medical and healthcare devices,soft robots,and human-computer interactions.However,existing cellulose-based soft actuators still need to be improved in terms of actuation displacement,bending strain,and driving frequency.Herein,we report a highly responsive ionic actuator using carboxylated cellulose nanofibers from wood pulp(CNFp),graphene nanosheets(GN),and ionic liquids(IL).The CNFp-IL-GN actuator exhibited a large specific capacitance of 749.11 mF/cm^(2)under a 25 mV/s scan rate,a large mechanical displacement(25 mm peak-to-peak)under 2.0 V at 0.1 Hz,a broad actuation frequency(0.1 to 10 Hz),and long working stability.Furthermore,bioinspired applications,including bionic dragonflies and artificial soft-touch fingers,have been demonstrated.These results demonstrate that the proposed actuator is a significant method for advancing soft actuators,artificial muscles,and bioinspired robots.展开更多
基金financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U1637101)The Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures(1005-ZAG23011).
文摘As a kind of ionic artificial muscle material,Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites(IPMCs)have the advantages of a low drive current,light weight,and significant flexibility.IPMCs are widely used in the fields of biomedicine,soft robots,etc.However,the displacement and blocking force of the traditional sheet-type Nafion-IPMC need to be improved,and it has the limitation of unidirectional actuation.In this paper,a new type of short side chain Aquivion material is used as the polymer in the IPMC.The cylindrical IPMC is prepared by extrusion technology to improve its actuation performance and realize multi-degree-of-freedom motion.In comparison to the traditional Nafion-IPMC,the ion exchange capacity,specific capacitance,and conductivity of Aquivion-IPMC are improved by 28%,27%,and 32%,respectively,and the displacement and blocking force are improved by 57%and 25%,respectively.The cylindrical actuators can be deflected in eight directions.This indicates that Aquivion,as a polymer membrane for IPMC,holds significant application potential.By designing a cylindrical IPMC electrode distribution,the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection of IPMC can be realized.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52375293)the Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures(Nanjing University of Aeronautics and astronautics,Nos.1005-IZD2300225 and IZD2400217)+2 种基金the Nanjing Life and Health Technology Special Project(No.202305031)the Clinical Competence Enhancement Project in Healthcare(No.JSPH-MB-2022-4)the Medical Engineering Translational Fund of Jiangsu Province Hospital(No.NM202402).
文摘Minimally invasive interventional surgery techniques using guidewire-based catheters are widely adopted to treat vascular diseases.However,commonly used interventional catheters lack active guidance.The use of guidewires is associated with risks,including increased exposure to X-rays and potential vascular damage during withdrawal from complex vessels.Herein,we developed sub-millimeter microtubular ionic actuators(0.6-0.8 mm outer diameter)integrated into steerable interventional catheters.These actuators can generate large deformations(>10 mm)under 7 V direct current due to enhanced ion migration,enabling precise navigation without the need for guidewires.The designed catheters achieved active bending and accurate positioning in complex arterial vascular branches within a human model.They were also able to navigate within different arterial locations(e.g.,the innominate,subclavian,and carotid arteries)in pigs without the use of guidewires,and even access the ventricle and deliver contrast medium,indicating their great potential for future endovascular therapy.
基金funded by the Russian Science Foundation(RSF),grantNo.24-23-00558,https://rscf.ru/en/project/24-23-00558/(accessed on 04 February 2025).
文摘The development of actuators based on ionic polymers as soft robotics,artificial muscles,and sensors is currently considered one of the most urgent topics.They are lightweight materials,in addition to their high efficiency,and they can be controlled by a low power source.Nevertheless,the most popular ionic polymers are derived from fossil-based resources.Hence,it is now deemed crucial to produce these actuators using sustainable materials.In this review,the use of ionic polymeric materials as actuators is reviewed through the emphasis on their role in the domain of renewablematerials.The reviewencompasses recent advancements inmaterial formulation and performance enhancement,alongside a comparative analysis with conventional actuator systems.It was found that renewable polymeric actuators based on ionic gels and conductive polymers are easier to prepare compared to ionic polymermetal composites.In addition,the proportion of actuator manufacturing utilizing renewable materials rose to 90%,particularly for ion gel actuators,which was related to the possibility of using renewable polymers as ionic or conductive substances.Moreover,the possible improvements in biopolymeric actuators will experience an annual rise of at least 10%over the next decade,correlating with the growth of their market,which aligns with the worldwide goal of reducing global warming.Additionally,compared to fossil-derived polymers,the decomposition rate of renewable materials reaches 100%,while biodegradable fossil-based substances can exceed 60%within several weeks.Ultimately,this review aims to elucidate the potential of ionic polymeric materials as a viable and sustainable solution for future actuator technologies.
基金Projects(51605220,U1637101)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(BK20160793)supported by the Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation,ChinaProject(NS2020029)supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China。
文摘In order to further improve the driving performance of ionic polymer metal composites(IPMCs),Nafion/graphene quantum dots(GQDs)hybrid membranes incorporating GQDs with various contents of 0,0.1 wt.%,0.5 wt.%,1.0 wt.%,2.0 wt.%and 4.0 wt.%were fabricated by solution casting,and then IPMCs were manufactured by electroless plating.The water contents and elastic moduli of the hybrid membranes were tested.The morphology characteristics of the hybrid membranes and the IPMCs were observed,and the current,AC impedance,blocking force and displacement of the IPMCs were measured.The results show that the elastic modulus of the hybrid membranes decreases,the water content increases,and the actuation performance of the IPMCs improves significantly after the addition of GQDs.IPMC with 1.0 wt.%GQDs exhibits the best driving property.Compared with the IPMC without GQDs,the working current,ion conductivity,blocking force,and tip displacement increase by 94.67%,311.11%,53.66%,and 66.07%,respectively.These results lay a solid foundation for the preparation of IPMCs with high performance,and further broaden their applications in biomedical devices and bionic robots.
基金project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 11372132, 11502109)
文摘This paper develops analytical electromechanical formulas to predict the mechanical deformation of ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) cantilever actuators under DC excitation voltages. In this research, IPMC samples with Pt and Ag electrodes were manufactured, and the large nonlinear deformation and the effect of curvature on surface electrode resistance of the IPMC samples were investigated experimentally and theoretically. A distributed electrical model was modified for calculating the distribution of voltage along the bending actuator. Then an irreversible thermodynamic model that could predict the curvature of a unit part of an IPMC actuator is combined with the electrical model so that an analytical electromechanical model is developed. The electromechanical model is then validated against the experimental results obtained from Pt- and Ag-IPMC actuators under various excitation voltages. The good agreement between the electromechanical model and the actuators shows that the analytical electromechanical model can accurately describe the large nonlinear quasi-static deflection behavior of IPMC actuators.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants 11372132 and 11502109).
文摘This study presents an electromechanical engineering model for the analysis of the large deflection curves of ionic polymer-metal composite(IPMC)cantilever actuators under direct current(DC)voltages.In this paper,the longitudinal normal strain performance of the material was investigated using digital image correlation on a micro-scale.The deflection of the actuator is analytically obtained with the application of an elliptic integration method based on the relationship between strain gradient and excitation voltage,and the minimum excitation voltage is derived based on the assumption that the actuators have small deformations.The validity of the electromechanical model is then justified with the experimental results obtained from Pt-and Ag-IPMC actuators at various excitation voltages.The findings of this study confirm that the introduced electromechanical model can accurately describe the large nonlinear deflection behavior of IPMC actuators.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51538009 and 51605334)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipality,China(Grant No.08002360285)
文摘A new type of soft actuator material-ionic liquid gel （ILG）, which consists of HEMA, BMIMBF4, and TiO2, can be transformed into gel state under the irradiation of ultraviolet （UV） light. In this paper, Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic model of finite element method is proposed for the first time to study the properties of the ILG. It has been proved that the content of TiO2 has a great influence on the properties of the gel, and Young＇s modulus of the gel increases with the increase of its content, despite of reduced tensile deformation. The results in this work show that when the TiO2 content is 1.0 wt%, a large tensile deformation and a strong Young＇s modulus can be obtained to be 325% and 7.8 kPa, respectively. The material parameters of ILG with TiO2 content values of 0.2 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, and 1.5 wt% are obtained, respectively, through uniaxial tensile tests, including C10, C01, C20, C11, C02, C30, C21, C12, and C03 elements. In this paper, the large-scaled general finite element software ANSYS is used to simulate and analyze the ILG, which is based on SOLID186 element and nonlinear hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin model. The finite element simulation analysis based stress-strain curves are almost consistent with the experimental stress-strain curves, and hence the finite element analysis of ILG is feasible and credible. This work presents a new direction for studying the performance of soft actuator for the ILG, and also contributes to the design of soft robot actuator.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(51525504,51905487,12102393)Bellwethers Research and Development Plan of Zhejiang Province of China(Grant No.2023C01045)+2 种基金Fundamental Research Funds of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University(24242115-Y)Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(LY21E050023)Zhejiang Provincial General Scientific Research Projects Fund of China under Grant Y202353093.
文摘For promising applications such as soft robotics,flexible haptic monitors,and active biomedical devices,it is important to develop ultralow voltage,highly-performant artificial muscles with high bending strains,rapid response times,and superior actuation endurance.We report a novel highly performant and low-cost artificial muscle based on microfibrillated cellulose(MFC),ionic liquid(IL),and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA),The proposed MFC-IL-PVA actuator exhibits excellent electro-chemical performance and actuations characteristics with a high specific capacitance of 225 mF/cm2,a large bending strain of 0.51%,peak displacement up to 7.02 mm at 0.25 V ultra-low voltage,outstanding actuation flexural endurance(99.1%holding rate for 3 h),and a wide frequency band(0.1-5 Hz).These attributes stem mainly from its high specific surface area and porosity,tunable mechanical properties,and the strong ionic interactions of cations and anions with MFC and PVA in ionic liquids.Furthermore,bionic applications such as bionic flytraps,bionic butterflies with vibrating wings,and smart circuit switches have been successfully realized using this technology.These specific bionic applications demonstrate the versatility and potential of the MFC-IL-PVA actuator,highlighting its important role in the fields of bionic engineering,robotics,and smart materials.They open up new possibilities for innovative scientific research and technological applications.
文摘This research article introduces an electroactive actuator based on sulfonated chitosan(SCS),ionic liquid and graphene oxide(GO).To maintain the biocompatibility of the chitosan and to increase the actuation performance,a biocompatible ionic liquid such as ethyl,methylimidazolium-trifluoro methane sulfonated(EMI-TFMS)as mobile solvent was used for dry-type actuation.And GO-reinforced SCS films obtained through a simple solvent casting method were extensively investigated because of better electro-chemo-mechanical properties and higher actuation performances.Field-emission scanning electron microscope(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),and Raman spectra were used to investigate the interaction mechanism between GO and SCS.The harmonic and step responses of GO and SCS composite actuator show large bending deformations under low electric voltage.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52475035,U23A20615)Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.LMS25E050003)+2 种基金Open Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems at Zhejiang University of China(Grant No.GZKF-202419)Fundamental Research Funds of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University of China(Grant No.24242115-Y)the Zhejiang Provincial General Scientific Research Projects Fund of China(Grant No.Y202353093).
文摘Soft actuators based on cellulose with highly electro-responsive properties have attracted significant attention in the fields of wearable devices,medical and healthcare devices,soft robots,and human-computer interactions.However,existing cellulose-based soft actuators still need to be improved in terms of actuation displacement,bending strain,and driving frequency.Herein,we report a highly responsive ionic actuator using carboxylated cellulose nanofibers from wood pulp(CNFp),graphene nanosheets(GN),and ionic liquids(IL).The CNFp-IL-GN actuator exhibited a large specific capacitance of 749.11 mF/cm^(2)under a 25 mV/s scan rate,a large mechanical displacement(25 mm peak-to-peak)under 2.0 V at 0.1 Hz,a broad actuation frequency(0.1 to 10 Hz),and long working stability.Furthermore,bioinspired applications,including bionic dragonflies and artificial soft-touch fingers,have been demonstrated.These results demonstrate that the proposed actuator is a significant method for advancing soft actuators,artificial muscles,and bioinspired robots.
