Enhancement of Magneto‐Mechanical Actuation of Micropillar Arrays by Anisotropic Stress Distribution

Magnetically active shape‐reconfigurable microarrays undergo programmed actuation according to the arrangement of magnetic dipoles within the structures, achieving complex twisting and bending deformations. Cylindrical micropillars have been widely used to date, whose circular cross‐sections lead to identical actuation regardless of the actuating direction. In this study, micropillars with triangular or rectangular cross‐sections are designed and fabricated to introduce preferential actuation directions and explore the limits of their actuation. Using such structures, controlled liquid wetting is demonstrated on micropillar surfaces. Liquid droplets pinned on magnetic micropillar arrays undergo directional spreading when the pillars are actuated as depinning of the droplets is enabled only in certain directions. The enhanced deformation due to direction dependent magneto‐mechanical actuation suggests that micropillar arrays can be fundamentally tailored to possess application specific responses and opens up opportunities to exploit more complex designs such as micropillars with polygonal cross sections. Such tunable wetting of liquids on microarray surfaces has potential to improve printing technologies via contactless reconfiguration of stamp geometry by magnetic field manipulation.     

Regular Aligned 1D Single‐Crystalline Supramolecular Arrays for Photodetectors

Solution‐processed semiconductor single‐crystal patterns possess unique advantages of large scale and low cost, leading to potential applications toward high‐performance optoelectronic devices. To integrate organic semiconductor micro/nanostructures into devices, various patterning techniques have been developed. However, previous patterning techniques suffer from trade‐offs between precision, scalability, crystallinity, and orientation. Herein, a patterning method is reported based on an asymmetric‐wettability micropillar‐structured template. Large‐scale 1D single‐crystalline supramolecular arrays with strict alignment, pure crystallographic orientation, and precise position can be obtained. The wettability difference between tops and sidewalls of micropillars gives rise to the confinement of organic solutions in discrete capillary tubes followed by dewetting and formation of capillary trailing. The capillary trailing enables unidirectional dewetting, regulated mass transport, and confined crystal growth. Owing to the high crystallinity and pure crystallographic orientation with Pt atomic chains parallel to the substrate, the photodetectors based on the 1D arrays exhibit improved responsivity. The work not only provides fundamental understanding on the patterning and crystallization of supramolecular structures but also develops a large‐scale assembly technique for patterning single‐crystalline micro/nanostructures.     

Toward Precise Manipulation of DNA–Protein Hybrid Nanoarchitectures

Nucleic acids and proteins are the two primary building materials of living organisms. Over the past decade, artificial DNA–protein hybrid structures have been pursued for a wide range of applications. DNA nanotechnology, in particular, has dramatically expanded nanoscale molecule engineering and contributed to the spatial arrangement of protein components. Strategies for designing site‐specific coupling of DNA oligomers to proteins are needed in order to allow for precise control over stoichiometry and position. Efforts have also been focused on coassembly of protein–DNA complexes by engineering their fundamental molecular recognition interactions. This Concept focuses on the precise manipulation of DNA–protein nanoarchitectures. Particular attention is paid to site‐selectivity within DNA–protein conjugates, regulation of protein orientation using DNA scaffolds, and coassembly principles upon unique structural motifs. Current challenges and future directions are also discussed in the design and application of DNA–protein nanoarchitectures.     

Engineering Bulk,Layered, Multicomponent Nanostructures with High Energy Density

The precise control of individual components in multicomponent nanostructures is crucial to realizing their fascinating functionalities for applications in electronics, energy‐conversion devices, and biotechnologies. However, this control remains particularly challenging for bulk, multicomponent nanomaterials because the desired structures of the constitute components often conflict. Herein, a strategy is reported for simultaneously controlling the structural properties of the constituent components in bulk multicomponent nanostructures through layered structural design. The power of this approach is illustrated by generating the desired structures of each constituent in a bulk multicomponent nanomaterial (SmCo + FeCo)/NdFeB, which cannot be attained with existing methods. The resulting nanostructure exhibits a record high energy density (31 MGOe) for this class of bulk nanocomposites composed of both hard and soft magnetic materials, with the soft magnetic fraction exceeding 20 wt%. It is anticipated that other properties beyond magnetism, such as the thermoelectric and mechanical properties, can also be tuned by engineering such layered architectures.     

一种用于非圆异形孔加工的电磁驱动机构及控制方法研究

研究了用于非圆异形孔加工的电磁驱动机构及控制方法。为了对镗杆施加径向随动作用力,研制了由电磁定子和电磁转子组成的回转式电磁驱动机构。当改变定子线圈中的控制电流时,可以改变电磁定子与电磁转子之间的电磁驱动力,进而带动镗刀做径向微位移。通过电磁驱动力在静态工作点附近的线性化,建立了电磁驱动力与控制电流之间的线性关系,分析了实现电磁驱动力同步控制的方法。对电磁驱动机构进行了动态模拟试验,试验结果表明,随着转子的转动,在转子与定子之间可以形成一个同步旋转的电磁驱动力,实现镗杆中心的径向可控微位移。因此采用本文提出的回转式电磁驱动机构加工非圆异形孔是可行的。     

DNA-Based Plasmonic Heterogeneous Nanostructures: Building,Optical Responses,and Bioapplications

The integration of multiple functional nanoparticles into a specific architecture allows the precise manipulation of light for coherent electron oscillations. Plasmonic metals-based heterogeneous nanostructures are fabricated by using DNA as templates. This comprehensive review provides an overview of the controllable synthesis and self-assembly of heterogeneous nanostructures, and analyzes the effects of structural parameters on the regulation of optical responses. The potential applications and challenges of heterogeneous nanostructures in the fields of biosensors and bioanalysis, in vivo monitoring, and phototheranostics are discussed.     

Elaborate positioning of nanowire arrays contributed by highly adhesive superhydrophobic pillar-structured substrates

Elaborate positioning of nanowire arrays can be generated upon highly adhesive superhydrophobic pillar-structured silicon substrates. The site of each nanowire can be precisely positioned by well designed tip-structured micropillars, yielding on-demand nanowire patterns. This approach might affect existing applications and enable new opportunities in organically functional devices and bio/chemical sensors.     

Plasmon-triggered living photopolymerization for elaboration of hybrid polymer/metal nanoparticles

Surface plasmon resonance can be used to manipulate light at the nanoscale. It was used here to trigger photopolymerization of an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) molecular system, leading to a thin polymer shell at the surface of the metal nanostructure. The polymerization can be reactivated from the first polymer shell to covalently graft a second monomer layer with precise control over the thickness at the nanometric scale, depending on the photonic parameters. This route can be applied to different nanoobjects and allows an anisotropic surface modification in agreement with the spatial localization of the enhanced electromagnetic field near the nanostructure. This new route opens the door towards the preparation of multifunctional hybrid metal/polymer nanostructures.     

Thermally and Magnetically Programmable Hydrogel Microactuators

The rapid development in micro-machinery enabled the investigation of smart materials that can embody fast response, programmable actuation, and flexibility to perform mechanical work. Soft magnetic actuators represent an interesting platform toward combining those properties. This study focuses on the synthesis of micro-actuators that respond to thermal and magnetic stimuli using micro-molding with a soft template as a fabrication technique. These microsystems consist of a hydrogel matrix loaded with anisotropic magnetic nanospindles. When a homogeneous magnetic field is applied, the nanospindles initially dispersed in monomer solution, align and assemble into dipolar chains. The ensuing UV-polymerization creates a network and conveniently arrests these nanostructures. Consequently, the magnetic dipole moment is coplanar with the microgel. Varying the shape, volume, and composition of the micro-actuators during synthesis provides a temperature-dependent control over the magnetic response and the polarizability. Beyond isotropic swelling, shaping the hydrogel as long thin ribbons with a passive layer on one side allows for differential swelling leading to bending and twisting deformations, for example, 2D- or 3D-spiral. These deformations involve a reversible amplification of the magnetic response and orientation of the hydrogels under magnetic field. Temperature control herewith determines the conformation and simultaneously the magnetic response of the micro-actuators.     

Pros and Cons: Magnetic versus Optical Microrobots

Mobile microrobotics has emerged as a new robotics field within the last decade to create untethered tiny robots that can access and operate in unprecedented, dangerous, or hard-to-reach small spaces noninvasively toward disruptive medical, biotechnology, desktop manufacturing, environmental remediation, and other potential applications. Magnetic and optical actuation methods are the most widely used actuation methods in mobile microrobotics currently, in addition to acoustic and biological (cell-driven) actuation approaches. The pros and cons of these actuation methods are reported here, depending on the given context. They can both enable long-range, fast, and precise actuation of single or a large number of microrobots in diverse environments. Magnetic actuation has unique potential for medical applications of microrobots inside nontransparent tissues at high penetration depths, while optical actuation is suitable for more biotechnology, lab-/organ-on-a-chip, and desktop manufacturing types of applications with much less surface penetration depth requirements or with transparent environments. Combining both methods in new robot designs can have a strong potential of combining the pros of both methods. There is still much progress needed in both actuation methods to realize the potential disruptive applications of mobile microrobots in real-world conditions.     

Directed three-dimensional patterning of self-assembled peptide fibrils

Molecular self-assembly is emerging as a viable "bottom-up" approach for fabricating nanostructures. Self-assembled biomolecular structures are particularly attractive, due to their versatile chemistry, molecular recognition properties, and biocompatibility. Among them, amyloid protein and peptide fibrils are self-assembled nanostructures with unique physical and chemical stability, formed from quite simple building blocks; their ability to work as a template for the fabrication of low resistance, conducting nanowires has already been demonstrated. The precise positioning of peptide-based nanostructures is an essential part of their use in technological applications, and their controlled assembly, positioning, and integration into microsystems is a problem of considerable current interest. To date, their positioning has been limited to their placement on flat surfaces or to the fabrication of peptide arrays. Here, we propose a new method for the precise, three-dimensional patterning of amyloid fibrils. The technique, which combines femtosecond laser technology and biotin-avidin mediated assembly on a polymeric matrix, can be applied in a wide variety of fields, from molecular electronics to tissue engineering.     

Magnetic Shape Memory Polymers with Integrated Multifunctional Shape Manipulation

Shape-programmable soft materials that exhibit integrated multifunctional shape manipulations, including reprogrammable, untethered, fast, and reversible shape transformation and locking, are highly desirable for a plethora of applications, including soft robotics, morphing structures, and biomedical devices. Despite recent progress, it remains challenging to achieve multiple shape manipulations in one material system. Here, a novel magnetic shape memory polymer composite is reported to achieve this. The composite consists of two types of magnetic particles in an amorphous shape memory polymer matrix. The matrix softens via magnetic inductive heating of low-coercivity particles, and high-remanence particles with reprogrammable magnetization profiles drive the rapid and reversible shape change under actuation magnetic fields. Once cooled, the actuated shape can be locked. Additionally, varying the particle loadings for heating enables sequential actuation. The integrated multifunctional shape manipulations are further exploited for applications including soft magnetic grippers with large grabbing force, reconfigurable antennas, and sequential logic for computing.     

Surface effects on the wrinkles in a stiff thin film bonded to a compliant substrate

Surface effects are important to predict the mechanical behavior of nanostructures. In this paper, the wrinkling of a stiff thin film bonded to a compliant substrate is studied using an energy method accounting for surface elasticity and residual surface tension. The wavelength, critical buckling strain and amplitude are obtained analytically. These results provide valuable guide to the precise design and control of the wrinkling profile in many applications ranging from stretchable electronics to micro/nano scale surface patterning and precision metrology.     

Self-assembled peptide amphiphile nanofibers conjugated to MRI contrast agents

Self-assembled peptide amphiphile nanofibers have been investigated for their potential use as in vivo scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. We report here the synthesis of magnetic resonance (MR) active peptide amphiphile molecules that self-assemble into spherical and fiber-like nanostructures, enhancing T(1) relaxation time. This new class of MR contrast agents can potentially be used to combine high-resolution three-dimensional MR fate mapping of tissue-engineered scaffolds with targeting of specific cellular receptors.     

Plasmonic Metallic Heteromeric Nanostructures

Binary, ternary, and other high‐order plasmonic heteromers possess remarkable physical and chemical properties, enabling them to be used in numerous applications. The seed‐mediated approach is one of the most promising and versatile routes to produce plasmonic heteromers. Selective growth of one or multiple domains on desired sites of noble metal, semiconductor, or magnetic seeds would form desired heteromeric nanostructures with multiple functionalities and synergistic effects. In this work, the challenges for the synthetic approaches are discussed with respect to tuning the thermodynamics, as well as the kinetic properties (e.g., pH, temperature, injection rate, among others). Then, plasmonic heteromers with their structure advantages displaying unique activities compared to other hybrid nanostructures (e.g., core–shell, alloy) are highlighted. Some of the main most recent applications of plasmonic heteromers are also presented. Finally, perspectives for further exploitation of plasmonic heteromers are demonstrated. The goal of this work is to provide the current know‐how on the synthesis routes of plasmonic heteromers in a summarized manner, so as to achieve a better understanding of the resulting properties and to gain an improved control of their performances and extend their breadth of applications.     

Optomechanically Actuated Microcilia for Locally Reconfigurable Surfaces

Artificial microcilia structures have shown potential to incorporate actuators in various applications such as microfluidic devices and biomimetic microrobots. Among the multiple possibilities to achieve cilia actuation, magnetic fields present an opportunity given their quick response and wireless operation, despite the difficulty in achieving localized actuation because of their continuous distribution. In this work, a high-aspect-ratio (>8), elastomeric, magnetically responsive microcilia array is presented that allows for wireless, localized actuation through the combined use of light and magnetic fields. The microcilia array can move in response to an external magnetic field and can be locally actuated by targeted illumination of specific areas. The periodic pattern of the microcilia also diffracts light with varying diffraction efficiency as a function of the applied magnetic field, showing potential for wirelessly controlled adaptive optical elements.     

Self‐Folded Gripper‐Like Architectures from Stimuli‐Responsive Bilayers

Self‐folding microgrippers are an emerging class of smart structures that have widespread applications in medicine and micro/nanomanipulation. To achieve their functionalities, these architectures rely on spatially patterned hinges to transform into 3D configurations in response to an external stimulus. Incorporating hinges into the devices requires the processing of multiple layers which eventually increases the fabrication costs and actuation complexities. The goal of this work is to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve gripper‐like configurations in an on‐demand manner from simple planar bilayers that do not require hinges for their actuation. Finite element modeling of bilayers is performed to understand the mechanics behind their stimuli‐responsive shape transformation behavior. The model predictions are then experimentally validated and axisymmetric gripper‐like shapes are realized using millimeter‐scale poly(dimethylsiloxane) bilayers that undergo differential swelling in organic solvents. Owing to the nature of the computational scheme which is independent of length scales and material properties, the guidelines reported here would be applicable to a diverse array of gripping systems and functional devices. Thus, this work not only demonstrates a simple route to fabricate functional microgrippers but also contributes to self‐assembly in general.     

Dynamic thermal radiation modulators via mechanically tunable surface emissivity

Inspired by cephalopods, we design a hybrid structure comprised of a rigid film with a low thermal emissivity and a substrate with a high thermal emissivity combined with a stretchable heater. The film’s topography is characterized by distributed strain-dependent micro-cracks, enabling the exposure of the substrate to be tuned by the applied strain. Thus, the effective surface thermal emissivity originating from the combination of the film and the exposed substrate can be instantaneously and reversibly modulated simply via mechanical means. The system exhibits various pronounced advantages, including ease of fabrication, low working temperature, broad emissivity modulation range, observing angle independence, excellent reversibility, instantaneous response, high strain sensitivity, feasibility for patterning and multiplexing, and autonomous actuation. Additionally, the system demonstrates intriguing thermographic-based applications in finger motion sensing, information encryption, multiplexing display, and thermal camouflage. Therefore, this work can facilitate the invention of next-generation thermal modulators with autonomous, on-demand, and board-range control.     

Bent Polytypic ZnSe and CdSe Nanowires Probed by Photoluminescence

Nanowires (NWs) have witnessed tremendous development over the past two decades owing to their varying potential applications. Semiconductor NWs often contain stacking faults due to the presence of coexisting phases, which frequently hampers their use. Herein, it is investigated how stacking faults affect the optical properties of bent ZnSe and CdSe NWs, which are synthesized using the vapor transport method. Polytypic zinc blende–wurtzite structures are produced for both these NWs by altering the growth conditions. The NWs are bent by the mechanical buckling of poly(dimethylsilioxane), and micro‐photoluminescence (PL) spectra were then collected for individual NWs with various bending strains (0–2%). The PL measurements show peak broadening and red shifts of the near‐band‐edge emission as the bending strain increases, indicating that the bandgap decreases with increasing the bending strain. Remarkably, the bandgap decrease is more significant for the polytypic NWs than for the single phase NWs. This work provides insights into flexible electronic devices of 1D nanostructures by engineering the polytypic structures.     

Four-dimensional direct laser writing of reconfigurable compound micromachines

Reconfigurable micromachines that are highly conscious of changing environments have significant potential for use in biomedical applications, such as minimally invasive surgery, cell manipulation, and tissue engineering. Current nanofabrication approaches with sophisticated designs appear to enhance the controllability of shape transformations, such as bending, folding, and twisting, while minimizing the response time. However, the construction of three-dimensional (3D) structures at a small scale with a high shape-morphing freedom poses challenges because of the lack of applicable materials and effective fabrication techniques. Here, we develop an advanced four-dimensional microprinting strategy for constructing 3D-to-3D shape-morphing micromachines in a single-material-single-step mode. Using direct laser writing, heterogeneous stimulus-responsive hydrogels can be distributed spatially into arbitrary 3D shapes with sub-micrometer features. The material crosslinking densities, stiffnesses, and swelling/shrinking degrees can be modulated by programming the exposure dosage of femtosecond laser pulses and characterized to predict the shape-morphing behaviors via finite-element methods. With our proposed approach, complex 3D reconfigurable compound micromachines with mechanical advantages, which exhibit an excellent deformation-amplifying effectiveness, can be constructed to achieve a rapid, precise, and reversible 3D-to-3D shape transformation in response to multiple external stimuli, and they emerge as promising smart and multifunctional micromachine candidates for various engineering applications.