Light- and magnetic-responsive synergy controlled reconfiguration of polymer nanocomposites with shape memory assisted self-healing performance for soft robotics

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive intelligent biomimetic materials are promoting the development of soft robotics. Despite tremendous advances in stimuli-responsive intelligent materials, it is still a challenge to design facile methods to integrate multifunctional features, including multiple-stimulus responsive ability, shape reconfiguration, reversible shape transformation and self-healing performance, into a single material system, which is an emerging interest and will greatly advance the field of intelligent bionic soft robotics. Herein, a novel multiple-stimulus responsive shape memory polymer based on biocompatible PCL/TPU/Fe₃O₄@PDA nanocomposites is developed by a facile and universal fabrication method. The nanocomposite film shows fast light- and magnetic-responsive ability (magnetic field: 1 s; light: 5 s). The temporary shape obtained by the combination of photothermal heating and magnetic-responsive actuation can be locked by turning off the light and magnetic field. Subsequent light illumination without the magnetic field can activate the material and drive the recovery of the initial shape. Thus, the resulting intelligent material presents shape reconfiguration and reversible shape transformation by a light and magnetic synergy response. In addition, the material exhibits excellent and repeatable shape memory assisted self-healing performance, the surface crack can be self-healed under light illumination (in 120 s), and the self-healing efficiency can reach 90.0%. Therefore, this intelligent shape memory polymer nanocomposite with its multifunctional features has great potential for advanced soft robotics in a plethora of fields, such as biomedical devices, artificial muscles, smart actuators and aerospace.