Covalent-supramolecular hybrid polymers as muscle-inspired anisotropic actuators
Abstract
Skeletal muscle provides inspiration on how to achieve reversible, macroscopic, anisotropic motion in soft materials. Here we report on the bottom-up design of macroscopic tubes that exhibit anisotropic actuation driven by a thermal stimulus. The tube is built from a hydrogel in which extremely long supramolecular nanofibers are aligned using weak shear forces, followed by radial growth of thermoresponsive polymers from their surfaces. The hierarchically ordered tube exhibits reversible anisotropic actuation with changes in temperature, with much greater contraction perpendicular to the direction of nanofiber alignment. We identify two critical factors for the anisotropic actuation, macroscopic alignment of the supramolecular scaffold and its covalent bonding to polymer chains. Using finite element analysis and molecular calculations, we conclude polymer chain confinement and mechanical reinforcement by rigid supramolecular nanofibers are responsible for the anisotropic actuation. The work reported suggests strategies to create soft active matter with molecularly encoded capacity to perform complex tasks.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science (CBES)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1454345
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1461692; OSTI ID: 1822191; OSTI ID: 1846782
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0000989; AC02-06CH11357
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Volume: 9 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Polymers; Self-assembly
Citation Formats
Chin, Stacey M., Synatschke, Christopher V., Liu, Shuangping, Nap, Rikkert J., Sather, Nicholas A., Wang, Qifeng, Álvarez, Zaida, Edelbrock, Alexandra N., Fyrner, Timmy, Palmer, Liam C., Szleifer, Igal, Olvera de la Cruz, Monica, and Stupp, Samuel I. Covalent-supramolecular hybrid polymers as muscle-inspired anisotropic actuators. United Kingdom: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04800-w.
Chin, Stacey M., Synatschke, Christopher V., Liu, Shuangping, Nap, Rikkert J., Sather, Nicholas A., Wang, Qifeng, Álvarez, Zaida, Edelbrock, Alexandra N., Fyrner, Timmy, Palmer, Liam C., Szleifer, Igal, Olvera de la Cruz, Monica, & Stupp, Samuel I. Covalent-supramolecular hybrid polymers as muscle-inspired anisotropic actuators. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04800-w
Chin, Stacey M., Synatschke, Christopher V., Liu, Shuangping, Nap, Rikkert J., Sather, Nicholas A., Wang, Qifeng, Álvarez, Zaida, Edelbrock, Alexandra N., Fyrner, Timmy, Palmer, Liam C., Szleifer, Igal, Olvera de la Cruz, Monica, and Stupp, Samuel I. Tue .
"Covalent-supramolecular hybrid polymers as muscle-inspired anisotropic actuators". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04800-w.
@article{osti_1454345,
title = {Covalent-supramolecular hybrid polymers as muscle-inspired anisotropic actuators},
author = {Chin, Stacey M. and Synatschke, Christopher V. and Liu, Shuangping and Nap, Rikkert J. and Sather, Nicholas A. and Wang, Qifeng and Álvarez, Zaida and Edelbrock, Alexandra N. and Fyrner, Timmy and Palmer, Liam C. and Szleifer, Igal and Olvera de la Cruz, Monica and Stupp, Samuel I.},
abstractNote = {Skeletal muscle provides inspiration on how to achieve reversible, macroscopic, anisotropic motion in soft materials. Here we report on the bottom-up design of macroscopic tubes that exhibit anisotropic actuation driven by a thermal stimulus. The tube is built from a hydrogel in which extremely long supramolecular nanofibers are aligned using weak shear forces, followed by radial growth of thermoresponsive polymers from their surfaces. The hierarchically ordered tube exhibits reversible anisotropic actuation with changes in temperature, with much greater contraction perpendicular to the direction of nanofiber alignment. We identify two critical factors for the anisotropic actuation, macroscopic alignment of the supramolecular scaffold and its covalent bonding to polymer chains. Using finite element analysis and molecular calculations, we conclude polymer chain confinement and mechanical reinforcement by rigid supramolecular nanofibers are responsible for the anisotropic actuation. The work reported suggests strategies to create soft active matter with molecularly encoded capacity to perform complex tasks.},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-04800-w},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = 1,
volume = 9,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {2018},
month = {6}
}
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04800-w
Web of Science
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