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Spiropyran based hydrogels actuators - walking in the light

Francis, Wayne, Dunne, Aishling, Delaney, Colm orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-4397-0133, Florea, Larisa orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-4704-2393 and Diamond, Dermot orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-2944-4839 (2017) Spiropyran based hydrogels actuators - walking in the light. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 250 . pp. 608-616. ISSN 0925-4005

Abstract
Herein we report on the synthesis of a bipedal hydrogel walker, based on N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylated spiropyran-co-acrylic acid p(NIPAAm-co-SP-co-AA). Due to the presence of the photochromic spiropyran molecule in the polymer structure, these hydrogels reversibly shrink and swell in aqueous environments when exposed to different light conditions. When placed onto a ratcheted surface, the actuation of the bipedal gel produces a walking motion by taking a series of steps in a given direction, as determined by the optimised design of the ratchet scaffold. We anticipate that such biomimetic hydrogel walkers could form the basis of light-actuated soft robots capable of more advanced functions such as autonomous migration to specific locations accompanied by triggered release of molecular cargo.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Soft robotics; Spiropyran; Photo-Responsive; Hydrogel; Walkers; Biomimetic
Subjects:Physical Sciences > Photochemistry
Physical Sciences > Organic chemistry
Physical Sciences > Chemistry
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Chemical Sciences
Research Initiatives and Centres > National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR)
Publisher:Elsevier
Official URL:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2017.05.005
Copyright Information:© 2017 Elsevier B.V.
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
Funders:Science Foundation Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland under the Insight initiative, grant SFI/12/RC/2289, European Framework Programme 7, European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme through the NAPES project grant agreement no. 604241.
ID Code:21787
Deposited On:11 May 2017 09:52 by Larisa Florea . Last Modified 01 Feb 2023 19:58
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