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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 53: Responsive and Adaptive Systems II

CPP 53.1: Invited Talk

Friday, March 22, 2024, 11:30–12:00, H 0107

A hierarchical fabrication strategy for multi-responsive actuators with structural reconfiguration-assisted self-healing ability — •Qing Chen — Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland

The prospects of endowing stimuli-responsive materials with various life-like behaviors are promoting the development of intelligent robotic and electronic systems. However, it is extremely challenging to incorporate stimuli-responsive actuating and healing ability into one single material system. Herein, we describe a general design strategy of a humidity-responsive thin film composed of conducting polymer composites through physically crosslinking and hydrogen bonding supramolecular network. Owing to the dynamic nature of hydrogen bonding at an elevated humidity, the thin film exhibits rapid actuating and efficient healing performance at the structural, mechanical and functional levels. Moreover, through a combined analytical approach, we proposed a structural model for the reconfiguration of the thin film at multi-length scales when being exposed to elevated humidity levels. Based on the humidity-responsive structural configurations, the film presents tunable mechanical, electrical and actuating properties, and demonstrate its great potential as intelligent soft robots such as artificial muscles.

Keywords: stimuli-responsive; actuator; non-automatic self-healing