Biomimetic Smart Materials and Sensors

仿生智能材料和传感器随着植物蛋白的发现(Knoblauch等人)。2003)，一种新型的自然非生物、不依赖于ATP的生物材料为智能材料的设计者提供了先进的致动器和传感。Knoblauch等人的体外研究结果表明，通过施加pH和钙浓度的变化，可以反复刺激孔体(1-3微米宽和10-30微米长)以各向异性的方式收缩和扩张。由于其独特的特性，孔状体作为先进的多功能智能传感器、阀门和仿生装置，具有超越当前智能材料(如依赖于ATP的执行器和合成水凝胶/聚合物)的潜力。该项目的中心目标是设计基于不依赖于ATP的植物蛋白孔体的仿生智能材料，这种材料的性能将超过传统的执行器。由于有许多未知和挑战，拟议的研究是高度探索性的，我们将结合实验、建模和数值模拟来解决这些问题。与该项目相关的高回报来自于建立了在微设备和变形结构中合成具有一体化、多功能(驱动、传感)组件的仿生复合材料的可能性。这项工作将是对现有技术(例如，使用水凝胶、PZT、形状记忆合金)的重大进步，用于一体的驱动和传感。基于Forisome的仿生智能材料在飞机和小型车辆变形、机械自适应系统、结构噪声和振动控制等民用和机械应用中具有重要意义，并将在环境监测、药物输送、生物医学和国防应用中产生许多潜在的应用。广泛的影响：研究和教育拟议的项目不仅将对合成用于高级驱动和传感的新一代仿生智能材料的基础知识产生广泛的影响，而且将对其他新兴的纳米、生物和微技术领域产生广泛的影响。每年，沈皮在她的实验室里为华盛顿大学女性工程学会的成员预留了两个本科生研究职位。机械工程专业大三学生伊丽莎白·亨德森在2004年春季一直在制造微流控器件并学习AFM程序，以执行材料表征，并将从2004年秋季开始继续她对该项目的研究。这一经历将为学生提供机会，学习如何在新材料、流体力学、植物生物学、传热学和工艺设计方面进行多学科互动的定义明确的研究项目。

Biomimetic smart materials and sensorsAmy ShenWith the discovery of the plant protein forisome (Knoblauch et al. 2003), a novel nastic non-living, ATP-independent biological material became available to the designer of smart materials for advanced actuating and sensing. The in vitro studies of Knoblauch et al. show that forisomes (1-3 micron wide and 10-30 micron long) can be repeatedly stimulated to contract and expand anisotropically by the application of a pH and calcium concentration shift. Due to their unique features, forisomes have the potential to outperform current smart materials such as ATP-dependent actuators and synthetic hydrogels/polymers as advanced multi-functional smart sensors, valves, and actuators as biomimetic devices. The central goal of this project is to engineer biomimetic smart materials based on ATP-independent plant protein forisomes that will outperform conventional actuators. With many unknowns and challenges, the proposed research is highly exploratory and we will attack these issues using a combination of experiment, modeling, and numerical simulation. The high reward associated with this project comes from establishing the possibility of synthesizing a biomimetic composite with all-in-one, multi-functional (actuation, sensing) component within microdevices and morphing structures. This work will be a major advancement over existing technologies (using, for example, hydrogels, PZT, shape memory alloy) for actuation and sensing in one-piece. Forisome based biomimetic smart materials are important in civil and mechanical applications such as aircraft and small scale vehicle morphing, mechanical adaptive systems, structural noise and vibration control, and will lead to many potential applications in environmental monitoring, drug delivery, biomedical and defense applications.Broader Impact: Research and EducationThe proposed project promises to have a wide-ranging impact not only on fundamental knowledge concerning the synthesis of a new generation biomimetic smart materials for advanced actuating and sensing, but also on the area of other emerging nano-, bio-, and micro-technologies.Each year, PI Amy Shen has set aside two undergraduate research positions in her laboratory to members of Society of Women Engineering at Washington University. Mechanical Engineering junior Elizabeth Henderson has been fabricating microfluidic devices and learning AFM procedure to perform materials characterizations during Spring 2004 and will continue her research on this project starting Fall, 2004. This experience will provide students with the opportunity to learn how to work on a well-defined research project with multidisciplinary interactions in novel materials, fluid mechanics, plant biology, heat transfer, and process design.