Multi-Stimulus Soft Actuators from Aerosol Jet Printed MXene-Cellulose Composite

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Robotics Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Advancements in flexible, stretchable, and conformal microrobotics require improved fabrication methods.
• Current methods face limitations in actuator feature scalability and design versatility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate additive manufacturing of soft multi-stimulus thermomechanical actuators.
• To utilize a composite of transition metal carbide (TMC, MXene) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) nanomaterials.
• To achieve scalable and customizable actuation using aerosol jet printing (AJP).

Main Methods:

• Aerosol jet printing (AJP) of aqueous MXene-CNF films onto polycarbonate (PC) membranes.
• Tuning electrothermal and photothermal properties for wired and/or wireless operation.
• Fabricating devices with dimensions as small as 5 mm² and 2.5 mm².

Main Results:

• Achieved full reversibility with heating below 120 °C.
• Demonstrated sharp curvatures of 0.92 cm⁻¹ and 0.87 cm⁻¹ for printed devices.
• Realized complex, directional, and reversible actuation modes by selective printing on both sides of the substrate.

Conclusions:

• AJP-fabricated MXene-CNF systems show significant promise for soft robotics applications.
• The developed method offers enhanced scalability and design versatility for microrobotic actuators.
• The multi-stimulus responsive actuators are suitable for various customizable robotic designs.