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Browsing Articles by Subject "Actuators"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Publication
    Bioinspired soft robots based on organic polymer-crystal hybrid materials with response to temperature and humidity
    (2023)
    Yang, Xuesong
    ;
    Lan, Linfeng
    ;
    Pan, Xiuhong
    ;
    Di, Qi
    ;
    Liu, Xiaokong
    ;
    Li, Liang 
    ;
    Naumov, Panče
    ;
    Zhang, Hongyu
    The capability of stimulated response by mechanical deformation to induce motion or actuation is the foundation of lightweight organic, dynamic materials for designing light and soft robots. Various biomimetic soft robots are constructed to demonstrate the vast versatility of responses and flexibility in shape-shifting. We now report that the integration of organic molecular crystals and polymers brings about synergistic improvement in the performance of both materials as a hybrid materials class, with the polymers adding hygroresponsive and thermally responsive functionalities to the crystals. The resulting hybrid dynamic elements respond within milliseconds, which represents several orders of magnitude of improvement in the time response relative to some other type of common actuators. Combining molecular crystals with polymers brings crystals as largely overlooked materials much closer to specific applications in soft (micro)robotics and related fields.
      50Scopus© Citations 57  1
  • Publication
    Highly efficient in crystallo energy transduction of light to work
    (2024)
    Lin, Jiawei
    ;
    Zhou, Jianmin
    ;
    Li, Liang 
    ;
    Tahir, Ibrahim
    ;
    Wu, Songgu
    ;
    Naumov, Panče
    ;
    Gong, Junbo
    Various mechanical effects have been reported with molecular materials, yet organic crystals capable of multiple dynamic effects are rare, and at present, their performance is worse than some of the common actuators. Here, we report a confluence of different mechanical effects across three polymorphs of an organic crystal that can efficiently convert light into work. Upon photodimerization, acicular crystals of polymorph I display output work densities of about 0.06–3.94 kJ m−3, comparable to ceramic piezoelectric actuators. Prismatic crystals of the same form exhibit very high work densities of about 1.5–28.5 kJ m−3, values that are comparable to thermal actuators. Moreover, while crystals of polymorph II roll under the same conditions, crystals of polymorph III are not photochemically reactive; however, they are mechanically flexible. The results demonstrate that multiple and possibly combined mechanical effects can be anticipated even for a simple organic crystal.
    Scopus© Citations 5  11  1
  • Publication
    Remote and precise control over morphology and motion of organic crystals by using magnetic field
    (2022)
    Li, Liang 
    ;
    Yang, Xuesong
    ;
    Lan, Linfeng
    ;
    Liu, Xiaokong
    ;
    Naumov, Panče
    ;
    Zhang, Hongyu
    Elastic organic crystals are the materials foundation of future lightweight flexible electronic, optical and sensing devices, yet precise control over their deformation has not been accomplished. Here, we report a general non-destructive approach to remote bending of organic crystals. Flexible organic crystals are coupled to magnetic nanoparticles to prepare hybrid actuating elements whose shape can be arbitrarily and precisely controlled simply by using magnetic field. The crystals are mechanically and chemically robust, and can be flexed precisely to a predetermined curvature with complete retention of their macroscopic integrity at least several thousand times in contactless mode, in air or in a liquid medium. These crystals are used as optical waveguides whose light output can be precisely and remotely controlled by using a permanent magnet. This approach expands the range of applications of flexible organic crystals beyond the known limitations with other methods for control of their shape, and opens prospects for their direct implementation in flexible devices such as sensors, emitters, and other (opto)electronics.
    Scopus© Citations 55  30  51