In:
Nature Communications, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 12, No. 1 ( 2021-10-25)
Kurzfassung:
Far-from-equilibrium (FFE) conditions give rise to many unusual phenomena in nature. In contrast, synthetic shape-shifting materials typically rely on monotonic evolution between equilibrium states, limiting inherently the richness of the shape-shifting behaviors. Here we report an unanticipated shape-shifting behavior for a hydrogel that can be programmed to operate FFE-like behavior. During its temperature triggered shape-shifting event, the programmed stress induces uneven water diffusion, which pushes the hydrogel off the equilibrium based natural pathway. The resulting geometric change enhances the diffusion contrast in return, creating a self-amplifying sequence that drives the system into an FFE condition. Consequently, the hydrogel exhibits counterintuitive two opposite shape-shifting events under one single stimulation, at a speed accelerated by more than one order magnitude. Our discovery points to a future direction in creating FFE conditions to access otherwise unattainable shape-shifting behaviors, with potential implications for many engineering applications including soft robotics and medical devices.
Materialart:
Online-Ressource
ISSN:
2041-1723
DOI:
10.1038/s41467-021-26464-9
Sprache:
Englisch
Verlag:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publikationsdatum:
2021
ZDB Id:
2553671-0
