4D Smart Materials: A Hierarchical Manufacturing Platform

智能材料也被称为刺激响应材料，由于其与传统材料相比具有更高的可靠性、性能、灵活性和小型化，因此引起了人们极大的研究关注。电活性聚合物(EAP)和热活性聚合物(TAP)是一类智能材料，它们分别在电刺激和热刺激下发生变化。在此，我们提出了一种新型的4D智能材料层次化制造平台。该计划的长期目标是制造具有定制多功能行为的4D智能材料。与传统的被动3D材料相比，4D主动材料增加了一个时间维度，具有通过几何变化来驱动的能力。 拟议的研究计划旨在弥合导电聚合物CPS与一维和二维纳米颗粒的结构及其制造方法之间的差距。设计和定制EAP传感和丝锥驱动元件的特性需要一种自下而上的方法，从自组装到宏观的分层双传感器/执行器系统，通过该系统将开发这个4D材料制造平台。EAP/TAPS混合体的一个主要应用是在电子皮肤(e-皮肤)中，这是一种具有传感/驱动能力的柔性、可伸展和可整合的基板。 这项研究将对用于开发新型4D材料系统的材料结构的分级组装的研究做出重大贡献。这将导致开发一种创新的制造平台来制造这些新型杂化活性材料。拟议的研究将为高素质的人员提供在智能4D材料设计、制造和应用的新领域的理论和实践经验。这些主动电子皮肤可以集成到软机器人、智能纺织品和可穿戴设备中，并能够感知环境的变化并在执行编程任务时做出响应。 电子皮肤在柔性和个人电子产品以及康复纺织品等应用中将有显著的好处。有源电子皮肤可以应用于柔性微电子机械系统(MEMS)的材料中，在那里它们将能够检测和表征材料和几何结构的变化并对其做出反应。因此，这些主动蒙皮将充当带有反馈信号的自我监控系统，并可用于电子、汽车和航空航天部件。此外，在电子皮肤系统传感精度大幅提高的同时，本研究计划将实现此类系统的可制造性和激活的整体多功能集成。

Smart materials, also known as stimuli responsive materials, are drawing significant research attention due to their improved reliability, performance, flexibility and miniaturization compared to their traditional counterparts. Electroactive polymers (EAPs) and thermoactive polymers (TAPs) are classes of smart materials that undergo change in response to electrical and thermal stimuli, respectively. Herein, we propose to develop a novel hierarchical manufacturing platform for 4D smart materials. The long-term objective of this program is to fabricate 4D smart materials with tailored multi-functional behaviors. In comparison to traditional passive 3D materials, 4D active materials, with the addition of a time dimension, have the ability to actuate by undergoing geometrical changes. The proposed research program aims to bridge the gap between the structure of conductive polymers CPs and 1D and 2D nanoparticles and their manufacturing methodologies. Designing and tailoring the properties of EAP sensory and TAP actuation elements requires a bottom-up approach from self-assembly to a macroscopic hierarchical dual sensor/actuator system through which this 4D materials manufacturing platform will be developed. A major application of EAPs/TAPs hybrid is in electronic skins (e-skins), which are flexible, stretchable, and conformable substrates with sensing/actuation capabilities. This research will make a major contribution to the investigation of hierarchical assembly of material structures used to develop new 4D materials systems. This will result in the development of an innovative manufacturing platform for fabricating these new class of hybrid active materials. The proposed research will provide highly qualified personnel with theoretical and hands-on experience in the new field of smart 4D materials design, manufacturing and applications. These active e-skins can be integrated in soft robotics, smart textiles, and wearables and are able to sense a change in the environment and respond in performing programmed tasks. E-skins will have significant benefits in applications such as flexible and personal electronics, and rehabilitation textiles. Active e-skins can be applied in materials for flexible microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) where they will be able to detect and characterize changes in materials and geometry and reacting to it. Hence, these active skins will act as a self-monitoring system with a feedback signal and can be employed in electronics, automotive, and aerospace components. In addition, while sensing accuracy of e-skin systems have improved dramatically, the manufacturability and overall multifunctional integration in activating of such systems is to be realized in this research program.