Hierarchically buckled sheath-core fibers for superelastic electronics, sensors, and muscles

Author(s):Show less -

Liu, Z. F. ^{[1, 2]} ; Fang, S. ^{[1, 3]} ; Moura, F. A. ^{[1, 4]} ; Ding, J. N. ^{[2, 5]} ; Jiang, N. ^{[1, 3]} ; Di, J. ^[1] ; Zhang, M. ^[6] ; Lepro, X. ^[1] ; Galvao, D. S. ^[4] ; Haines, C. S. ^[1] ; Yuan, N. Y. ^{[3, 2]} ; Yin, S. G. ^{[3, 7]} ; Lee, D. W. ^[3] ; Wang, R. ^{[3, 2]} ; Wang, H. Y. ^{[3, 7]} ; Lv, W. ^{[3, 2]} ; Dong, C. ^{[3, 2]} ; Zhang, R. C. ^{[3, 7]} ; Chen, M. J. ^{[3, 2]} ; Yin, Q. ^{[3, 2]} ; Chong, Y. T. ^[3] ; Zhang, R. ^{[8, 9]} ; Wang, X. ^[8] ; Lima, M. D. ^[1] ; Ovalle-Robles, R. ^[10] ; Qian, D. ^[8] ; Lu, H. ^[8] ; Baughman, R. H. ^{[1, 3]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Texas Dallas, Alan G MacDiarmid NanoTech Inst, Richardson, TX 75080 - USA

^[2] Changzhou Univ, Jiangsu Collaborat Innovat Ctr Photovolta Sci & E, Changzhou 213164 - Peoples R China

^[3] Jiangnan Graphene Res Inst, Changzhou 213149 - Peoples R China

^[4] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Appl Phys, BR-13081970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] Jiangsu Univ, Micronano Sci & Technol Ctr, Zhenjiang 212013 - Peoples R China

^[6] Florida State Univ, High Performance Mat Inst, Tallahassee, FL 32310 - USA

^[7] Tianjin Univ Technol, Inst Mat Phys, Tianjin 300384 - Peoples R China

^[8] Univ Texas Dallas, Dept Mech Engn, Richardson, TX 75080 - USA

^[9] Northwestern Polytech Univ, Sch Astronaut, Xian 710072 - Peoples R China

^[10] Lintec Amer, Nanosci & Technol Ctr, Richardson, TX 75081 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Science; v. 349, n. 6246, p. 400-404, JUL 24 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 160

Abstract

Superelastic conducting fibers with improved properties and functionalities are needed for diverse applications. Here we report the fabrication of highly stretchable (up to 1320%) sheath-core conducting fibers created by wrapping carbon nanotube sheets oriented in the fiber direction on stretched rubber fiber cores. The resulting structure exhibited distinct short-and long-period sheath buckling that occurred reversibly out of phase in the axial and belt directions, enabling a resistance change of less than 5% for a 1000% stretch. By including other rubber and carbon nanotube sheath layers, we demonstrated strain sensors generating an 860% capacitance change and electrically powered torsional muscles operating reversibly by a coupled tension-to-torsion actuation mechanism. Using theory, we quantitatively explain the complementary effects of an increase in muscle length and a large positive Poisson's ratio on torsional actuation and electronic properties. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/08293-7 - CCES - Center for Computational Engineering and Sciences
• Grantee: Munir Salomao Skaf
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC