Breakthrough in Nanotechnology: Soft Actuators with Controllable Responsiveness

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Beijing University of Chemical Technology have made significant strides in nanotechnology, developing soft actuators with controllable responsiveness that have wide application prospects in human-machine interfaces and intelligent robotics. The innovative design, inspired by plants, utilizes cellulose nanofibers-based composites with exceptional thermal conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency. These advancements have the potential to prolong the life of actuators and sensors, paving the way for multi-functional wearable terminals and biomimetic actuators.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers developed soft actuators with controllable responsiveness using cellulose nanofibers-based composites, which have excellent thermal conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency.
  • The composites were prepared by layered dispersion of polyamide epichlorohydrin modified graphene nanosheets within silver nanoparticles deposited CNFs through electrostatic self-assembly via vacuum filtration.
  • The hot-pressing process formed densely interconnected pGNPs within the CNFs-based composites, creating 'mimosa'-like ordered layered architectures with a thermal conductivity of 150.6 W/(m K) and an electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency of 75 dB.
  • The researchers integrated the CNFs-based composites with outstanding Joule heating performance into liquid crystal elastomers, yielding smart curtains and intelligent grabbers with a bending angle of 82 degrees under a voltage of 3 V.
  • The CNFs-based composite was also used as an electrode to construct triboelectric nanogenerators for transmitting information through Morse code.
  • The as-prepared CNFs-based composites can be used to prolong the life of actuators and sensors, opening up possibilities for multi-functional wearable terminals and biomimetic actuators.

Statistics:

  • Thermal conductivity: 150.6 W/(m K)
  • Electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency: 75 dB
  • Bending angle for smart curtains and intelligent grabbers: 82 degrees
  • Voltage requirement for smart curtains and intelligent grabbers: 3 V
  • Conductivity of the CNFs-based composite: 9.8 x 10^3 S m^-1

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Researchers at Beijing University of Chemical Technology Report New Data on Nanocomposites (Plants-inspired Cellulose Nanocomposites-based Soft Intelligent Actuators With Exceptional Thermal Conductivity and Electromagnetic Interference ...). Electronics Newsweekly. October 21, 2025; p 1621.
  • "Plants-inspired Cellulose Nanocomposites-based Soft Intelligent Actuators With Exceptional Thermal Conductivity and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding." Advanced Materials, 2025.
  • "Advanced Materials" can be contacted at: Wiley-v C H Verlag Gmbh, Postfach 101161, 69451 Weinheim, Germany. (Wiley-Blackwell - www.wiley.com/; Advanced Materials - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1521-4095)