Bioinspired Semicrystalline Dynamic Ionogels with Adaptive Mechanics and Tactile Sensing.

Abstract

A biological system shows dynamical shapes and tunable mechanical states while working as an actuator and/or sensor. To simulate this, we prepared semicrystalline dynamic ionogels (SDIGs) via a facile process by introducing crystallized polymer domains for phase change and amorphous domains for ionic liquid loading into ionogels. The obtained SDIGs offered tunable mechanical properties upon temperature switching with a change in modulus up to 2 orders of magnitude. It also showed an excellent shape memory effect, shape programmability, and melting accelerated conductivity increase. Enabled by ionic Joule heating technique, the ionogel provided an electrical triggered actuating process to mimic flower blossoming. Moreover, it was demonstrated as a touch sensor with various working shape states, indicating cyclic and green utilization. This work provides insights into the design of semicrystalline electronics and is believed to promote the development of biomimetic actuators and sensors.