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Multitemperature Responsive Self‐Folding Soft Biomimetic Structures
Author(s) -
Kobayashi Kunihiko,
Oh Seung Hyun,
Yoon ChangKyu,
Gracias David H.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201700692
Subject(s) - soft robotics , materials science , copolymer , ethylene glycol , methacrylate , nanotechnology , folding (dsp implementation) , bilayer , swelling , soft matter , computer science , chemistry , polymer , membrane , composite material , actuator , organic chemistry , mechanical engineering , artificial intelligence , biochemistry , engineering , colloid
Untethered, millimeter‐scale, stimuli‐responsive shape change structures are critical to the function of autonomous devices, smart materials, and soft robotics. Temperature in a range compatible with physiological or ambient environmental conditions is an excellent cue to trigger actuation of soft structures for practical biomimetic applications. Previously, a range of thermally responsive self‐folding soft structures has been described and utilized in a variety of applications from tissue engineering to minimally invasive surgery. In order to extend these concepts to more complex devices, thermally responsive bilayer structures composed of poly[oligo (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (POEGMA) gels that swell at three different temperatures are described. The lower critical solution temperature and volume transition temperature of POEGMA are tuned by varying the side chain length and the extent of copolymerization. The swelling properties of the POEGMA gels are characterized and a multilayer photopatterning process is described that is used to create soft biomimetic structures that change shape in a sequential manner while displaying multistate behaviors.