Robust yet Self-Healing Multimodal Actuators Enabled by Noncovalent Assembled Nanostructure

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Robotics
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Animals exhibit remarkable multimodal locomotion (walking, climbing, jumping) for survival, a capability highly sought after in untethered flexible actuators.
• Current flexible actuators face challenges in achieving adaptable, robust, and self-healing multimodal movement for complex environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust, self-healing multimodal actuator capable of diverse locomotion.
• To engineer a flexible actuator with enhanced adaptability and stability for demanding applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a multimodal actuator using noncovalent assembled nanostructures with controlled multistage responsive behaviors.
• Implementation of a "light-heat-force release" pathway for stimulus delivery via dynamic interfacial design.
• Characterization of actuator performance, including jumping ability, toughness, and self-healing efficiency.

Main Results:

• The actuator demonstrated diverse motion capabilities and significant jumping ability (27 cm, 34 times body length).
• The noncovalent dynamic network provided high toughness (81.9 kJ/mol) and self-healing efficiency (88.2%).
• The "light-heat-force release" pathway enabled precise control over stimulus delivery and actuator response.

Conclusions:

• The developed actuator offers a promising strategy for creating robust, self-healing, multimodal flexible devices.
• The design approach enhances actuator adaptability and long-term service stability in complex scenarios.
• This work advances the field of flexible robotics by mimicking natural locomotion and incorporating self-healing properties.