Harvard College

Seoul National University

Princeton University

Zhigang Suo

Joost Johan Vlassak

Canhui Yang

George M Whitesides

David J Mooney

Kyu Hwan Oh

Xuanhe Zhao

Jeong-Yun Sun

Jianyu Li

Widusha R K Illeperuma

Robert F Shepherd

Stephen A Morin

Ramses V Martinez

Adam Stokes

Filip Ilievski

Rui M D Nunes

Carina R Fish

Lihua Jin

Jamie L Branch

Sigurd Richard Wagner

Robert Howe

Christoph Matthias Keplinger

Qihan Liu

Guodong Nian

Sibo Cheng

Yashraj S Narang

Widusha Illeperuma

Jeong Yun Sun

Shuang Zhou

Rui Nunes

Stephanie Perichon Lacour

Yecheng Wang

Kun Jia

Guoyong Mao

Xi Yao

Paul Le Floch

A composite material is disclosed including: a first material including a plurality of crosslinked first polymer chains including a plurality of first polymer monomeric units; a coating layer on the surface of the first material, wherein the coating layer includes a plurality of adhesion polymer chains, wherein the plurality of adhesion polymer chains includes a plurality of the first polymer monomeric units and a plurality of first bond-forming units, wherein the adhesion polymer chains are interwoven with the first polymer chains; and a second material including a plurality of second polymer chains, wherein the coating layer is disposed in-between the first and the second material and contacting the surface of the first and the second material, and a portion of the second polymer chains includes a plurality of second polymer monomeric units and second bond-forming units; wherein the first and the second bond-forming units form one or more bonds.

Composite materials

A polymer composite of dissimilar polymers covalently bonded at the interface is disclosed. A method for bonding dissimilar polymers includes providing a first precursor to a hydrogel polymer network comprising a first coupling agent; providing a second precursor to a second polymer network comprising a second coupling agent, wherein the hydrogel polymer network and the second polymer network are different; initiating polymerization of the first precursor to form a hydrogel polymer network, wherein the first coupling agent is incorporated into the polymer network with a negligible amount of condensation; initiating polymerization of the second precursor to form a second polymer network, wherein the second coupling agent is incorporated into the second polymer network with a negligible amount of condensation; contacting one of the first hydrogel precursor or the hydrogel polymer network with one of the second polymer precursor or second polymer networks and initiating condensation between the first and second coupling agents to form a covalent bond.

Bonding dissimilar polymer networks in various manufacturing processes

A stretchable temperature sensor includes one or more elastomeric ionic conducting layers; at least two electronic conducting elements, wherein the one or more ionic conducting layers and one or more electronic conducting elements are configured and arranged to provide at least one electrical double layer at a first contact area between the ionic conducting layer and a first electronic conducting element in a sensing end and at least one electrical double layer at a contact area between the ionic conducting layer and a second electronic conducting element in an open end of the temperature sensor; wherein the second electronic conducting element provides a connection at the open end to an external circuit for measuring a signal generated in response to a temperature condition at the sensing end.

Elastomeric temperature sensor

A stretchable electrooptical device includes a liquid crystal cell disposed between first and second ionic conducting gel layers; and first and second electronic conductors in electrical contact with the first and second ionic conducting gel layers, respectively, said first and second electronic conductors connectable to an external voltage source.

Stretchable electrooptical and mechanooptical devices comprising a liquid crystal cell disposed between first and second ionic conducting gel layers

The invention features a composition comprising a self-healing interpenetrating network hydrogel comprising a first network and a second network. The first network comprises covalent crosslinks and the second network comprises ionic or physical crosslinks. For example, the first network comprises a polyacrylamide polymer and second network comprises an alginate polymer.

Interpenetrating networks with covalent and ionic crosslinks

Systems and methods for providing flexible robotic actuators are disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include a soft robot capable of providing a radial deflection motions; a soft tentacle actuator capable of providing a variety of motions and providing transportation means for various types of materials; and a hybrid robotic system that retains desirable characteristics of both soft robots and hard robots. Some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter also include methods for operating the disclosed robotic systems.

Flexible robotic actuators

Hydrogel compositions, and corresponding methods of making, are provided. The hydrogels do not freeze, or only partially freeze, over a wide range of temperatures below the freezing temperature of water. Concurrently, these hydrogels also retain their room temperature mechanical properties (e.g., strength, modulus, elasticity) over a wide range of temperatures, including temperatures below the freezing temperature of water. The hydrogels are synthesized by adding a suitable amount of a salt together with previously cross-linked polymer gel. Hydration of the gel with aqueous solutions containing the prescribed salts not only depresses the hydrogel freezing point but protects the structure. For example, the salts do not allow the hydrogel to completely freeze, thus protecting the hydrogel from brittle failure. Whether the hydrogels partially freeze or remain non-frozen when chilled below the freezing temperature of water is determined by concentration of salt within the hydrogel.

Hydrogels with improved mechanical properties below water freezing temperature

A class of devices enabled by ionic conductors is highly stretchable, fully transparent to light of all colors, biocompatible or biodegradable, and capable of operation at frequencies beyond 10 kilohertz and voltages above 10 kilovolts. These devices enabled by ionic conductors can be used as large strain actuators, full-range loudspeakers, as strain or pressure sensors and as stretchable interconnects. The electromechanical transduction is achieved without electrochemical reaction. When large stretchability and high optical transmittance are required, the ionic conductors have lower sheet resistance than all existing electronic conductors.

Stretchable ionics for transparent sensors and actuators

Interpenetrating networks with covalent and Ionic Crosslinks

The present invention relates to stretchable interconnects which can be made in various geometric configurations, depending on the intended application. The stretchable interconnects can be formed of an electrically conducting film or an elastomer material to provide elastic properties in which the interconnects can be reversibly stretched in order to stretch and relax the elastomer material to its original configuration. Alternatively, stretchable interconnects can be formed of an electrically conducting film or a plastic material to provide stretching of the material to a stretched position and retaining the stretched configuration. The stretchable interconnect can be formed of a flat 2-dimensional conductive film covering an elastomeric or plastic substrate. When this structure is stretched in one or two dimensions, it retains electrical conduction in both dimensions. Alternatively, the stretchable and/or elastic interconnects can be formed of a film or stripe that is formed on an elastomeric or plastic substrate such that it is buckled randomly, or organized in waves with long-range periodicity. The buckling or waves can be induced by various techniques, including: release of built-in stress of the conductive film or conductive stripe; pre-stretching the substrate prior to the fabrication of the conductive film or conductive stripe; and patterning of the surface of the substrate prior to the fabrication of the metal film. The stretchable interconnect can be formed of a plurality of conductive films or conductive stripes embedded between a plurality of layers of a substrate formed of an elastomer or plastic.

Stretchable and elastic interconnects

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, MA, United States of America

Zhigang Suo