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Porous and flexible actuating materials are important in the development of smart systems. We report here a facile method to prepare scalable, flexible actuating porous membranes based on a poly(ionic liquid)-modified tissue paper. The…
The interest in poly(ionic liquids) for sensing applications are derived from their strong interactions to a variety of analytes. By combining the desirable mechanical properties of polymers with the physical and chemical properties of ILs,…
Ionic polymer actuators, in essence, consist of ion exchange polymers sandwiched between layers of electrodes. They have recently gained recognition as promising candidates for soft actuators due to their lightweight nature, noise-free…
While its biological significance is well-documented, its application in soft robotics, particularly for the transport of fragile and irregularly shaped objects, remains underexplored. This study presents a modular soft robotic actuator…
Hydrogel-based soft actuators can operate in sensitive environments, bridging the gap of rigid machines interacting with soft matter. However, while stimuli-responsive hydrogels can undergo extreme reversible volume changes of up to ~90%,…
The development of smart polymer materials is reviewed and illustrated. Important examples of these polymers include conducting polymers, ionic gels, stimulus-response be used polymers, liquid crystalline polymers and piezoelectric…
There is a growing need for soft robotic platforms that perform gentle, precise handling of a wide variety of objects. Existing surface-based manipulation systems, however, lack the compliance and tactile feedback needed for delicate…
Polymer electrolytes are critical for safe, high-energy-density solid-state batteries, yet discovering candidates that balance high ionic conductivity with high transference numbers remains a significant challenge. In this work, we develop…
Porous polymer membranes via electrostatic complexation triggered by neutralization are fabricated for the first time from a water-soluble poly(ionic liquid) (PIL). The porous structure is formed as a consequence of simultaneous phase…
Integration of both actuation and proprioception into the robot body would provide actuation and sensing in a single integrated system. Within this work, a manufacturing approach for such actuators is investigated that relies on 3D printing…
Active microelectromechanical systems can couple the nanomechanical domain with the electronic domain by integrating electronic sensing and actuation mechanisms into the micromechanical device. This enables very fast and sensitive…
Transport of liquid mixtures through porous membranes is central to processes such as desalination, chemical separations and energy harvesting, with ultrathin membranes made from novel 2D nanomaterials showing exceptional promise. Here we…
Recently there has been an increase in demand for soft and biocompatible electronic devices capable of withstanding large stretch. Ionically conductive polymers present a promising class of soft materials for these emerging applications due…
Electroactive-Polymers (EAPs) are one of the best soft materials with great applications in active microfluidics. Ionic ones (i-EAPs) have more promising features for being appropriate candidates to use in active microfluidic devices. Here,…
Ion transporters in Nature exhibit a wealth of complex transport properties such as voltage gating, activation, and mechanosensitive behavior. When combined, such processes result in advanced ionic machines achieving active ion transport,…
Incorporating effective tactile sensing and mechanical compliance is key towards enabling robust and safe operation of robots in unknown, uncertain and cluttered environments. Towards realizing this goal, we present a lightweight,…
Polymer electrolytes are promising candidates for the next generation lithium-ion battery technology. Large scale screening of polymer electrolytes is hindered by the significant cost of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in amorphous…
Due to the importance of using supercapacitors in electronic storage devices, improving their efficiency is one of the topics that has attracted the attention of many researchers. Choosing the proper electrolyte for supercapacitors is one…
We use all-atom molecular dynamics simulations informed by density functional theory calculations to investigate aqueous ion transport across sub-nanoporous monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS$_2$) membranes subject to varying tensile…
Solid polymer electrolytes hold significant promise as materials for next-generation batteries due to their superior safety performance, enhanced specific energy, and extended lifespans compared to liquid electrolytes. However, the…