Near-Infrared Light-Driven Shape-Programmable Hydrogel Actuators Loaded with Metal-Organic Frameworks

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Robotics
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Soft actuators are crucial for bioinspired aquatic robots.
• Existing actuators often lack rapid response times and shape programmability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel near-infrared (NIR) light-driven hydrogel actuators.
• To enhance actuator performance using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Main Methods:

• In situ photopolymerization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogels loaded with MOFs onto a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) thin film.
• Tailoring PDMS thin film patterning to achieve shape programmability.

Main Results:

• MOF-loaded hydrogels exhibited efficient photothermal conversion and accelerated water adsorption/desorption, leading to faster response rates.
• Achieved shape-programmable actuators with directional bending and chiral twisting modes under NIR light.
• Demonstrated proof-of-concept applications including an artificial hand, biomimetic flower, and an octopus-inspired soft swimmer.

Conclusions:

• The developed MOF-containing hydrogel actuators offer fast photoresponsiveness and shape programmability.
• This work provides insights for creating reconfigurable smart aquatic soft actuators.
• Potential applications in soft robotics, biomedical devices, and beyond.