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Advanced Polymers-Based Nanocomposites for Artificial Muscles-Like Actuators and Sensors

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanocomposite Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 6502

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Aleksey Maksimkin

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Guest Editor

Institute of Bionic Technologies and Engineering, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Interests: polymer nanocomposites; structure; actuators; artificial muscles; sensors; bionic motions; shape memory effect; implants; mechanical properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Artificial muscles are special type of actuators that can produce bionic motions similar to those of natural muscle. Artificial-muscle-like actuators offer greater advantages compared to traditional combustion engines and electric motors; they are lightweight and highly efficient and have a quick response time, compact dimensions, and a lack of inertia and noise. Polymer-based nanocomposites are promising materials for artificial muscles. The main driving forces behind polymer-based actuator movement are electric fields, electrostatic forces, electrostriction, ion insertion, and molecular conformational changes. Several of these materials can work in reverse, such as sensors, which transform the mechanical deformation of polymer-based nanocomposites into an electrical signal. Artificial-muscle-like actuators and sensors are attractive materials for soft robots, prostheses, biomedical devices, lightweight wearable devices, and energy-harvesting equipment. Thus, research on innovative polymer-based nanocomposites for artificial-muscle-like actuators and sensors is currently of significant interest, as it can help further the development of new devices that improve our daily lives.

This Special Issue will present the latest advances in artificial-muscle-like actuators and sensors, covering the following topics:

Electroactive polymers;
Piezoelectric materials;
Electrostrictive polymers;
Liquid crystal elastomers;
Ionic polymer–metal composites;
Polymers with shape memory effect.

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit your full research papers, communications, and reviews for the Special Issue "Advanced Polymers-Based Nanocomposites for Artificial Muscles-Like Actuators and Sensors".

Dr. Aleksey Maksimkin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

artificial muscles
sensors
polymer nanocomposites
dielectric elastomers
shape memory effect

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 8700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling of Fiber-Constrained Planar PVC Gel Actuators

by Yi Li, Xuxin Feng, Lixiang Zhu, Ziqian Zhang, Mingfei Guo, Zhixin Li, Yanbiao Li and Minoru Hashimoto

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(9), 1483; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13091483 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1456

Abstract

In recent years, plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) gel has attracted increasing attention in soft robotics. However, there is scarce research on the deformation mechanism and modeling of PVC gel actuators. In this study, to investigate the deformation mechanism of fiber-constrained planar PVC gel actuators, we propose a complex nonlinear model based on traditional thermodynamic electroactive polymer (EAP) multi-field coupling theory. The proposed model can reveal the dielectric breakdown strength of PVC gels and predict the deformation of planar PVC gel actuators with varying levels of pre-stretching. The theoretical results were in good agreement with the experimental results, indicating the feasibility of the proposed model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers-Based Nanocomposites for Artificial Muscles-Like Actuators and Sensors)

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19 pages, 6727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optical and Electrophysical Properties of Vinylidene Fluoride/Hexafluoropropylene Ferroelectric Copolymer Films: Effect of Doping with Porphyrin Derivatives

by Valentin V. Kochervinskii, Margaret A. Gradova, Oleg V. Gradov, Andrey I. Sergeev, Anton V. Lobanov, Evgeniya L. Buryanskaya, Tatiana S. Ilina, Dmitry A. Kiselev, Inna A. Malyshkina and Gayane A. Kirakosyan

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(3), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13030564 - 30 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1338

Abstract

Polymer films doped by different porphyrins, obtained by crystallization from the acetone solutions, differ in absorption and fluorescence spectra, which we attribute to the differences in the structuring and composition of the rotational isomers in the polymer chains. According to the infrared spectroscopy data, the crystallization of the films doped with tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) proceeds in a mixture of α- and γ-phases with TGTG⁻ and T₃GT₃G⁻ conformations, respectively. Three bonds in the planar zigzag conformation ensures the contact of such segments with the active groups of the porphyrin macrocycle, significantly changing its electronic state. Structuring of the films in the presence of TPP leads to an increase in the low-voltage AC-conductivity and the registration of an intense Maxwell-Wagner polarization. An increased conductivity by an order of magnitude in TPP-doped films was also observed at high-voltage polarization. The introduction of TPP during the film formation promotes the displacement of the chemical attachment defects of “head-to-head” type in the monomeric units into the surface. This process is accompanied by a significant increase in the film surface roughness, which was registered by piezo-force microscopy. The latter method also revealed the appearance of hysteresis phenomena during the local piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ measurements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers-Based Nanocomposites for Artificial Muscles-Like Actuators and Sensors)

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Review

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21 pages, 9429 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electroactive Polymer-Based Composites for Artificial Muscle-like Actuators: A Review

by Aleksey V. Maksimkin, Tarek Dayyoub, Dmitry V. Telyshev and Alexander Yu. Gerasimenko

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(13), 2272; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12132272 - 1 Jul 2022

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 6124

Abstract

Unlike traditional actuators, such as piezoelectric ceramic or metallic actuators, polymer actuators are currently attracting more interest in biomedicine due to their unique properties, such as light weight, easy processing, biodegradability, fast response, large active strains, and good mechanical properties. They can be actuated under external stimuli, such as chemical (pH changes), electric, humidity, light, temperature, and magnetic field. Electroactive polymers (EAPs), called ‘artificial muscles’, can be activated by an electric stimulus, and fixed into a temporary shape. Restoring their permanent shape after the release of an electrical field, electroactive polymer is considered the most attractive actuator type because of its high suitability for prosthetics and soft robotics applications. However, robust control, modeling non-linear behavior, and scalable fabrication are considered the most critical challenges for applying the soft robotic systems in real conditions. Researchers from around the world investigate the scientific and engineering foundations of polymer actuators, especially the principles of their work, for the purpose of a better control of their capability and durability. The activation method of actuators and the realization of required mechanical properties are the main restrictions on using actuators in real applications. The latest highlights, operating principles, perspectives, and challenges of electroactive materials (EAPs) such as dielectric EAPs, ferroelectric polymers, electrostrictive graft elastomers, liquid crystal elastomers, ionic gels, and ionic polymer–metal composites are reviewed in this article. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers-Based Nanocomposites for Artificial Muscles-Like Actuators and Sensors)

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