Self‐healing polymers for soft actuators and robots

Abstract

AbstractAdvances in artificial intelligence technology bring a rising demand on stimuli responsive actuating materials and soft actuators. By the virtue of easy deformation and mechanical resilience, polymers with unique properties like shape‐memory, electro/magneto‐active, and thermal/humidity/chemical‐responsiveness have emerged as promising candidates for soft robotics. Damage tolerance or a degree of self‐healing ability improves soft robots endowed with such materials longevity, and provides safeguards for the function and potentially reduce costs. The combination of stimuli‐responsive actuation and self‐healing function involves elaborate supramolecular chemical and physical structure designs, being a challenging topic within the field of soft robotics and thus intriguing wide research interests. This review aims to discuss some highlights in convenient combination of stimuli‐responsive micro‐nanostructures and dynamic bonds chemistry within last 5 years, that further give the actuators recovery of mechanic and function, and improved comprehensive properties. Through a review of the most remarkable paradigms, the order organization of dynamic bonds with liquid crystal mesogenic units, functional micro‐nanofillers, hierarchical gradient interfaces, etc. are outlined. Finally, the perspectives and main challenges of self‐healable actuators are summarized. It is anticipated that this review will provide scientists with insights and guidance for the future innovative research in this field.