Advanced Materials Technologies最新文献

Stiffness-Tunable Soft Actuators

In article number 2401293, Yuan-Fang Zhang and co-workers present a tendon-driven soft actuator having both high load capacity and shape adaptability. By employing thermoelectric modules for bidirectional temperature control and graphene for efficient heat transfer in the actuator body, rapid stiffness tuning is achieved without extra cooling systems. The simplistic design further enhances the manufacturability and maneuverability of the actuator.

Sequential NanoPrecipitation

In article number 2400583, Nathalie M. Pinkerton and co-workers present a 3D-printed sequential mixer platform that enables Sequential NanoPrecipitation (SNaP), a nascent two-step, controlled precipitation process for the robust synthesis of particles for drug delivery and bioimaging applications.

Luminescence Thermometry

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a powerful technique for achieving smooth and robust distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) coatings on microwire ends. In article number 2400881, Manuel Alonso-Orts and co-workers create optical microcavities with ALD-coated, chromium-doped gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃:Cr) microwires and demonstrate their use for wide-range temperature sensors with high stability, precision and accuracy, monitoring the temperature-induced spectral shifts of the resonant peaks.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is critical to the continuous safety assessment of infrastructure components, particularly for those with concerns over aging and structural deterioration. Traditional strain sensors in SHM often face limitations in sensitivity, durability, and scalability, particularly for large-area monitoring. In this work, these challenges are addressed by introducing a digitally fabricated strain sensor using additive 3D direct writing technology. The sensor uses a hybrid structure of stretchable carbon and silver materials to improve sensitivity and durability. It achieves dual-axis strain sensing by positioning carbon elements in both horizontal and vertical directions, enabling 2D strain mapping. A temperature sensor with nickel oxide nanoparticles provides temperature compensation, ensuring accurate strain measurements. To optimize performance, design parameters are fine-tuned, and comprehensive tests—including static, dynamic, and tensile strength evaluations are performed. The sensor, measuring 5 cm in length and 0.8 mm in width, reaches a maximum gauge factor of 2.45 at room temperature and shows minimal resistance change (0.01%) after 1000 bending cycles with a 5 mm radius. It detects small deformations with a resolution of 0.05%, and dynamic tests, such as earthquake simulations, verify its stability. Tensile testing, using a dynamic servohydraulic Material Testing System (MTS) frame for tension/compression, validates the accuracy of the sensor. This research advances SHM technology by offering a novel digital manufacturing approach for dual-axis strain sensing, demonstrating the potential of the sensor for continuous, low-cost, large-area monitoring.

Additive Manufacturing

The cover image illustrates how cell wall thickness affects the failure mechanisms of fused filament fabrication (FFF)-printed lattices due to process-induced defects. In article number 2400457, Shanmugam Kumar and co-workers provide novel insights into the crushing behaviors of FFF-printed lattices by combining multiscale experiments and predictive modelling.

Cavity Optomechanics

In article number 2400525, Víctor J. Gómez and co-workers present the process of fabrication of a GaP optomechanical epitaxially grown on exact (001)-Si following a novel two-step dry-etching process. This suggests a simple and lowcost way to build GaP-based photonic devices directly integrated on Si(001) photonic wafers.

Ceramic 3D Printing

In article number 2400382, Jungho Ryu, Miso Kim, and co-workers produce granulated BaTiO₃ ceramics via spray-drying that are utilized to create uniformly redispersed photocurable suspensions for digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. This method produces high-density ceramic structures with excellent shape fidelity and improved dielectric and ferroelectric performance.

Magnetic Microrobots

In article number 2401135, Chia-Yuan Chen and co-workers develop a hybrid electromagnetic system to dynamically provide the precise manipulation of multiple microrobots with varied and coordinated motions. This technology opens new avenues to robotic control in the small scale aquatic domain, and highlights its adaptive robotic functions tailored for specialized tasks.

With the rapid development of morphing aircraft, increasing demands are put forward for flexible patches (FP). In addition to sufficient deformation capability and mechanical strength, FP are required for electromagnetic continuity especially at active gaps of morphing aircraft. The existing FP are developed with enhanced deformability and load-bearing capacity, yet their limits in electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding cannot meet practical applications of electromagnetic protection, and their interlayer bonding also needs to be strengthened. Besides, flexible electromagnetic protection materials (FEMPM) have been developed to address electromagnetic radiation in wearable electronics and other fields, yet their deformability and mechanical properties still need to be improved. Thereon, based on reasonable structure design and fabrication methods, delicate integration of FP and FEMPM can offer a significant paradigm to construct flexible electromagnetic protection patches (FEMPP) with great potentials in engineering applications. Herein, recent advances in FP as well as FEMPM are consolidated, and detailed development in multifunctional construction of FEMPP are involved. Furthermore, challenges and developing perspectives are also discussed, aiming to inspire the relevant researches and promote development in the related fields.