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Antioxidative ultrafast light-driven poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel actuator enabled by (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-modified MXene and polyvinyl alcohol

  • Composites & nanocomposites
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Abstract

Developing hydrogel actuators with excellent driving performance and extended lifespan remains challenging. Ti3C2Tx MXene, as a two-dimensional nanomaterial with a unique layered structure, has attracted widespread attention in flexible hydrogel actuators for its excellent optical absorption properties and tunable surface functionality. However, MXene faces difficulties in dispersion and is prone to oxidation, which significantly hinders the development and use of MXene-based hydrogel actuators. In this study, we fabricated a near-infrared light-driven hydrogel actuator with rapid photo responsiveness and antioxidative properties by incorporating modified MXene with antioxidant characteristics and the pore-forming agent polyvinyl alcohol into the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel system. We functionalized MXene nanosheets with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), effectively enhancing antioxidative properties, preventing structural degradation caused by spontaneous oxidation, and improving surface properties. This enhanced the dispersion stability of MXene in the system and extended its lifespan from 7 days to over two weeks. The hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol chains served as drainage channels during hydrogel contraction, imparting the hydrogel with rapid driving capabilities (127.1° s−1). Additionally, leveraging the fast response characteristics, we designed an octopus-inspired light-driven soft swimmer and gripper. This work provides novel insights into the application of intelligent responsive hydrogels in biomimetic and practical scenarios.

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Upon acceptance of the manuscript by the journal, readers will have access to the pertinent data and code linked to this research through the journal-designated electronic repository with a DOI. The dataset and code utilized to corroborate the outcomes of this study are accessible upon request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52173262). The authors extend their appreciation to all members of the laboratory at Tianjin University for their valuable insights and assistance throughout various stages of this research, despite not being listed as authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China

    Yanan Gong, Xinyi Wang, Shaoshuai Ma & Xinhua Xu

  2. Xi’an Rare Metal Materials Institute Co. Ltd, 96 Weiyang Road, Xi’an, 710016, China

    Pan Xue

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  1. Yanan Gong
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  2. Pan Xue
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  3. Xinyi Wang
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  4. Shaoshuai Ma
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Contributions

Yanan Gong: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data curation, Writing—original draft. Xue Pan: Formal analysis, Visualization, Investigation. Xinyi Wang: Formal analysis, Data curation. Shaoshuai Ma: Supervision, Writing—review & editing. Xinhua Xu: Writing—review & editing.

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Correspondence to Shaoshuai Ma or Xinhua Xu.

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Handling Editor: Peiyao Zhao.

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Gong, Y., Xue, P., Wang, X. et al. Antioxidative ultrafast light-driven poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel actuator enabled by (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-modified MXene and polyvinyl alcohol. J Mater Sci 59, 12447–12463 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09917-6

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