scholarly journals Bioinspired Smart Materials With Externally-Stimulated Switchable Adhesion

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Yiyang Wan ◽  
Xiaowei Wang ◽  
Zhenhai Xia
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Protein Separation ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Electrical Signal ◽  
Design And Synthesis ◽  
Smart Surfaces ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
External Stimuli

Living organisms have evolved, over billions of years, to develop specialized biostructures with switchable adhesion for various purposes including climbing, perching, preying, sensing, and protecting. According to adhesion mechanisms, switchable adhesives can be divided into four categories: mechanically-based adhesion, liquid-mediated adhesion, physically-actuated adhesion and chemically-enhanced adhesion. Mimicking these biostructures could create smart materials with switchable adhesion, appealing for many engineering applications in robotics, sensors, advanced drug-delivery, protein separation, etc. Progress has been made in developing bioinspired materials with switchable adhesion modulated by external stimuli such as electrical signal, magnetic field, light, temperature, pH value, etc. This review will be focused on new advance in biomimetic design and synthesis of the materials and devices with switchable adhesion. The underlying mechanisms, design principles, and future directions are discussed for the development of high-performance smart surfaces with switchable adhesion.

scholarly journals Recent advances in skin collagen: functionality and non-medical applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanting Han ◽  
Jinlian Hu ◽  
Gang Sun
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Preparation Method ◽  
Chemical Reactivity ◽  
Medical Field ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Synthetic Materials ◽  
Skin Collagen ◽  
Promising Area ◽  
Living Organisms

Abstract During nature evolution process, living organisms have gradually adapted to the environment and been adept in synthesizing high performance structural materials at mild conditions by using fairly simple building elements. The skin, as the largest organ of animals, is such a representative example. Conferred by its intricate organization where collagen fibers are arranged in a randomly interwoven network, skin collagen (SC), defined as a biomass derived from skin by removing non-collagen components displays remarkable performance with combinations of mechanical properties, chemical-reactivity and biocompatibility, which far surpasses those of synthetic materials. At present, the application of SC in medical field has been largely studied, and there have been many reviews summarizing these efforts. However, the generalized view on the aspects of SC as smart materials in non-medical fields is still lacking, although SC has shown great potential in terms of its intrinsic properties and functionality. Hence, this review will provide a comprehensive summary that integrated the recent advances in SC, including its preparation method, structure, reactivity, and functionality, as well as applications, particularly in the promising area of smart materials. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Mixed Polymer Brushes for “Smart” Surfaces

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingxiao Li ◽  
Christian W. Pester
Keyword(s):  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Experimental Work ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Polymer Brushes ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Smart Surfaces ◽  
Synthetic Approaches ◽  
Novel Applications ◽  
External Stimuli

Mixed polymer brushes (MPBs) are composed of two or more disparate polymers covalently tethered to a substrate. The resulting phase segregated morphologies have been extensively studied as responsive “smart” materials, as they can be reversible tuned and switched by external stimuli. Both computational and experimental work has attempted to establish an understanding of the resulting nanostructures that vary as a function of many factors. This contribution highlights state-of-the-art MPBs studies, covering synthetic approaches, phase behavior, responsiveness to external stimuli as well as novel applications of MPBs. Current limitations are recognized and possible directions for future studies are identified.

Inspired smart materials with external stimuli responsive wettability: a review

RSC Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (43) ◽  
pp. 36623-36641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Guo ◽  
Zhiguang Guo
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Smart Surfaces ◽  
External Stimuli

Recent progress in smart surfaces with responsive wettability upon external stimuli is reviewed and some of the barriers and potentially promising breakthroughs in this field are also briefly discussed.

scholarly journals High Performance NbMoTa–Al2O3 Multilayer Composite Structure Manufacturing by Laser Directed Energy Deposition

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1685
Author(s):  
Hang Zhang ◽  
Zihao Chen ◽  
Yaoyao He ◽  
Xin Guo ◽  
Qingyu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Composite Structure ◽  
Composite Structures ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Energy Deposition ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Multilayer Composite ◽  
Forming Process ◽  
Directed Energy Deposition ◽  
Directed Energy

The conventional method of preparing metal–ceramic composite structures causes delamination and cracking defects due to differences in the composite structures’ properties, such as the coefficient of thermal expansion between metal and ceramic materials. Laser-directed energy deposition (LDED) technology has a unique advantage in that the composition of the materials can be changed during the forming process. This technique can overcome existing problems by forming composite structures. In this study, a multilayer composite structure was prepared using LDED technology, and different materials were deposited with their own appropriate process parameters. A layer of Al2O3 ceramic was deposited first, and then three layers of a NbMoTa multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) were deposited as a single composite structural unit. A specimen of the NbMoTa–Al2O3 multilayer composite structure, composed of multiple composite structural units, was formed on the upper surface of a φ20 mm × 60 mm cylinder. The wear resistance was improved by 55% compared to the NbMoTa. The resistivity was 1.55 × 10−5 Ω × m in the parallel forming direction and 1.29 × 10−7 Ω × m in the vertical forming direction. A new, electrically anisotropic material was successfully obtained, and this study provides experimental methods and data for the preparation of smart materials and new sensors.

scholarly journals Bioactive Glass as a Nanoporous Drug Delivery System for Teicoplanin

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Ling Huang ◽  
Wei Fang ◽  
Bo-Rui Huang ◽  
Yan-Hsiung Wang ◽  
Guo-Chung Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Bioactive Glass ◽  
Drug Delivery System ◽  
Delivery System ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Sol Gel ◽  
Phase Identification ◽  
Bet Analysis

Bioactive glass (BG) was made by the sol–gel method and doped with boron (B) to increase its bioactivity. Microstructures of BG and B-doped BG were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and phase identification was performed using an X-ray diffraction diffractometer. The ion concentrations released after soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 1, 4, and 7 days were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the pH value of the SBF was measured after soaking samples to determine the variation in the environment. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis was performed to further verify the characteristics of mesoporous structures. High performance liquid chromatography was used to evaluate the drug delivery ability of teicoplanin. Results demonstrated that B-doped BG performed significantly better than BG in parameters assessed by the BET analysis. B-doped BG has nanopores and more rough structures, which is advantageous for drug delivery as there are more porous structures available for drug adsorption. Moreover, B-doped BG was shown to be effective for keeping pH values stable and releasing B ions during soaking in SBF. The cumulative release of teicoplanin from BG and B-doped BG reached 20.09% and 3.17% on the first day, respectively. The drug release gradually slowed, reaching 29.43% and 4.83% after 7 days, respectively. The results demonstrate that the proposed bioactive glass has potential as a drug delivery system.

The Formation of Plasma Acid at Atmospheric Pressure and its Application in Hydrolysis of Microcrystalline Cellulose

2013 ◽  
Vol 750-752 ◽  
pp. 1626-1629
Author(s):  
Bo Yuan ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Ying Chao Ji ◽  
Qiu Hong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Microcrystalline Cellulose ◽  
Atmospheric Pressure ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Barrier Discharge ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Reducing Sugar ◽  
Dielectric Barrier ◽  
Integrated Optical ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Single Factor Experiment

In this paper, plasma acid was obtained by treating distilled water with dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure in order to hydrolyze cellulose. The acidity of plasma acid was studied through a single factor experiment. A plasma acid with pH value of 1.42 was obtained and used to hydrolyze microcrystalline cellulose at 80°C for 60min. Under this condition, the integrated optical density (IOD) of the hydrolysis sample was 0.589. Based on standard glucose curve, the total reducing sugar (TRS) was calculated to be 53.75mg and the TRS yield was 53.75%. The filtrate was evaporated to get the solid hydrolysis sample to be analyzed by High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the sample mainly consisted of glucose, which proved that microcrystalline cellulose could be hydrolyzed by plasma acid. Therefore, it could be concluded that it was an environmentally friendly and economical method to hydrolyze the microcrystalline cellulose by plasma acid.

scholarly journals Self-reproducing catalyst drives repeated phospholipid synthesis and membrane growth

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (27) ◽  
pp. 8187-8192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Hardy ◽  
Jun Yang ◽  
Jangir Selimkhanov ◽  
Christian M. Cole ◽  
Lev S. Tsimring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Synthesis ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Phospholipid Bilayer ◽  
Phospholipid Synthesis ◽  
Synthetic Membranes ◽  
Design And Synthesis ◽  
Membrane Growth ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Dynamic Structures

Cell membranes are dynamic structures found in all living organisms. There have been numerous constructs that model phospholipid membranes. However, unlike natural membranes, these biomimetic systems cannot sustain growth owing to an inability to replenish phospholipid-synthesizing catalysts. Here we report on the design and synthesis of artificial membranes embedded with synthetic, self-reproducing catalysts capable of perpetuating phospholipid bilayer formation. Replacing the complex biochemical pathways used in nature with an autocatalyst that also drives lipid synthesis leads to the continual formation of triazole phospholipids and membrane-bound oligotriazole catalysts from simpler starting materials. In addition to continual phospholipid synthesis and vesicle growth, the synthetic membranes are capable of remodeling their physical composition in response to changes in the environment by preferentially incorporating specific precursors. These results demonstrate that complex membranes capable of indefinite self-synthesis can emerge when supplied with simpler chemical building blocks.

Synthesis and Application of Itaconic Acid Water-Coke Slurry Dispersant

2017 ◽  
Vol 896 ◽  
pp. 167-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Yuan Yang ◽  
Zhuo Yue Meng ◽  
Zhi Hua Li ◽  
Si Tong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Surface Tension ◽  
Polyethylene Glycol ◽  
Itaconic Acid ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Esterification Reaction ◽  
Solution Ph ◽  
Powder Surface ◽  
Coke Powder

Polyethylene glycol (PEG-200) and itaconic acid (IA) were used as raw materials to compound macromer through esterification reaction. A new type of specialized water-coke slurry dispersant was synthesized by copolymerization of microware, sodium methallyl sulfonate (SMAS) and maleic anhydride (MA). The experiment showed that the concentration of slurry could be reached to 63% with the dosage of 0.2%, and the apparent viscosity was 1140.3 mPa∙s. Through the analysis of the infrared, the dispersant was confirmed to have polyethylene glycol branched chain and hydrophilic functional groups such as carboxyl or sulfonic group. When the concentration of dispersant was 30 g/L, the surface tension of water could be decreased from 72.70 mN/m to 45.50 mN/m. Furthermore, when the solution pH value was 9, the Zeta potential of semi-coke powder surface could also be decreased from-13.38 mV to-25 mV with the addition of dispersant. Thus, this dispersant could increase electronegativity of semi-coke powder surface, enhance steric-hindrance effect and prevent the phenomenon of powder flocculation and gather. Meantime, it also could reinforce the semi-coke hydrophilic by reducing the surface tension of water effectively. And then, the high performance water-coke slurry could be obtained.

scholarly journals Review: Sensors for Biosignal/Health Monitoring in Electronic Skin

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2478
Author(s):  
Hyeon Seok Oh ◽  
Chung Hyeon Lee ◽  
Na Kyoung Kim ◽  
Taechang An ◽  
Geon Hwee Kim
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Active Component ◽  
Tactile Sensor ◽  
Wearable Devices ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Electronic Skin ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
Flexible Component

Skin is the largest sensory organ and receives information from external stimuli. Human body signals have been monitored using wearable devices, which are gradually being replaced by electronic skin (E-skin). We assessed the basic technologies from two points of view: sensing mechanism and material. Firstly, E-skins were fabricated using a tactile sensor. Secondly, E-skin sensors were composed of an active component performing actual functions and a flexible component that served as a substrate. Based on the above fabrication processes, the technologies that need more development were introduced. All of these techniques, which achieve high performance in different ways, are covered briefly in this paper. We expect that patients’ quality of life can be improved by the application of E-skin devices, which represent an applied advanced technology for real-time bio- and health signal monitoring. The advanced E-skins are convenient and suitable to be applied in the fields of medicine, military and environmental monitoring.

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