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Bird's-Nest-Inspired, High-Temperature-Resistant Soft Robots with Enhanced Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.
Xianyuan Liu1, Jinman Zhou1, Xianyong Lu1
1Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 27, 2025
Summary
New multifunctional actuators made from polyolefin elastomer, aramid nanofiber, and carbon nanotube composites offer lightweight, high-strength solutions. These intelligent materials provide effective electromagnetic interference shielding and complex actuation for advanced electronics and robotics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Robotics
Background:
- Growing demand for multifunctional materials in aerospace, AI, and wearable electronics.
- Need for lightweight, high-strength, and responsive materials for intelligent actuators.
- Limitations of existing materials in providing combined EMI shielding and actuation capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel multifunctional intelligent actuators with electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities.
- To investigate the actuation mechanisms and performance of polyolefin elastomer/aramid nanofiber/carbon nanotube (POE/ANF/CNT) composites.
- To explore the potential of these materials in flexible wearable electronics and soft robotics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of POE/ANF/CNT composites with a sandwich architecture using layer-by-layer technology.
- Utilizing differential thermal expansion coefficients for actuation, with POE as the active layer and ANFs/CNTs as reinforcement.
- Employing bird's-nest-like CNT structures for repeatable programming capabilities.
Main Results:
- Actuators exhibit rapid responses to light, electrical, and thermal stimuli with low activation energy and high speed.
- Demonstrated significant deformation, exceptional fatigue resistance, and repeatable morphological programming.
- Achieved effective EMI shielding (35.7 dB), high tensile strength (39.1 MPa), and superior Joule heating performance (301 °C).
- Materials show excellent thermal stability with decomposition temperatures up to 473 °C.
Conclusions:
- The developed POE/ANF/CNT composites function as multifunctional intelligent actuators with excellent performance characteristics.
- These materials offer a promising combination of EMI shielding, actuation, and mechanical properties.
- Significant potential for applications in flexible wearable electronics, EMI shielding, and soft robotics.
