127 research outputs found

    Current status and future application of electrically controlled micro/nanorobots in biomedicine

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    Using micro/nanorobots (MNRs) for targeted therapy within the human body is an emerging research direction in biomedical science. These nanoscale to microscale miniature robots possess specificity and precision that are lacking in most traditional treatment modalities. Currently, research on electrically controlled micro/nanorobots is still in its early stages, with researchers primarily focusing on the fabrication and manipulation of these robots to meet complex clinical demands. This review aims to compare the fabrication, powering, and locomotion of various electrically controlled micro/nanorobots, and explore their advantages, disadvantages, and potential applications

    Emerging Power Electronics Technologies for Sustainable Energy Conversion

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    This Special Issue summarizes, in a single reference, timely emerging topics related to power electronics for sustainable energy conversion. Furthermore, at the same time, it provides the reader with valuable information related to open research opportunity niches

    Digital Light Processing 3D printing of Thermosets via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

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    Digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing is an efficient additive manufacturing technique for the fabrication of 3D objects with intricate structures. However, current photocurable resins for DLP printing are mainly based on uncontrolled radical polymerizations associated with limited control over formed networks and a high degree of heterogeneity in macromolecular structures. This uncontrolled process could only afford narrow manipulation over bulk material properties, restricting the wide applications of DLP 3D-printed materials. To access versatile control over bulk material properties, reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) has been widely applied to tune the macromolecular structures of polymer networks. In particular, photo-mediated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (photoRAFT) polymerization has been employed to design photocurable resins for DLP printing of materials with homogeneous networks and enhanced properties. To deepen the understanding of using photoRAFT polymerization in designing photocurable resins for DLP 3D printing processes, this body of work first investigated the role of RAFT agent architectures (i.e., different number of arms) in a visible-light-mediated photoinduced electron/energy transfer (PET)-RAFT system. The monofunctional RAFT agent resulted in optimal mechanical properties among the studied candidates. Subsequently, the optimized monofunctional RAFT agent was employed in silica nanoparticle-loaded composite photocurable resins based on type I-initiated RAFT polymerization, which produced composite materials with more homogeneous networks and improved tensile properties. As an extension of small molecule RAFT agents, macro-chain transfer agents (macroCTAs) were subsequently utilized to design photocurable resins for printing nanostructured materials via polymerization-induced microphase separation (PIMS). Similarly, macroCTA with 1, 2, and 4-arm were used to study the architecture effect in the PIMS process. The results demonstrated that the nanostructural domain sizes were precisely defined by the arm length of macroCTAs, while the 2 and 4-arm macroCTAs led to phase-inverted morphologies which were not observed in the case of using 1-arm macroCTAs. Afterward, diblock macroCTAs with varied compositions and sequences were employed in the PIMS printing system. Tuning ratio of network-incompatible A and B blocks in macroCTA enables a transition from bicontinuous to less connected morphologies. More importantly, the macroCTA block sequence was also found to significantly affect the PIMS process, nanostructure, and bulk properties of 3D printed materials

    Emerging Power Electronics Technologies for Sustainable Energy Conversion

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    This Special Issue summarizes, in a single reference, timely emerging topics related to power electronics for sustainable energy conversion. Furthermore, at the same time, it provides the reader with valuable information related to open research opportunity niches

    Soft Optomechanical Systems for Sensing, Modulation, and Actuation

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    Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya ; the Government of Catalonia's Agency for Business Competitiveness (ACCIÓ) (TECSPR19-1-0021)Soft optomechanical systems have the ability to reversibly respond to optical and mechanical external stimuli by changing their own properties (e.g., shape, size, viscosity, stiffness, color or transmittance). These systems typically combine the optical properties of plasmonic, dielectric or carbon-based nanomaterials with the high elasticity and deformability of soft polymers, thus opening the path for the development of new mechanically tunable optical systems, sensors, and actuators for a wide range of applications. This review focuses on the recent progresses in soft optomechanical systems, which are here classified according to their applications and mechanisms of optomechanical response. The first part summarizes the soft optomechanical systems for mechanical sensing and optical modulation based on the variation of their optical response under external mechanical stimuli, thereby inducing mechanochromic or intensity modulation effects. The second part describes the soft optomechanical systems for the development of light induced mechanical actuators based on different actuation mechanisms, such as photothermal effects and phase transitions, among others. The final section provides a critical analysis of the main limitations of current soft optomechanical systems and the progress that is required for future devices

    Design and Simulation of a Novel Magnetic Microactuator for Microrobots in Lab-On-a-Chip Applications

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    This article presents the design of a magnetic microactuator comprising soft magnetic material blocks and flexible beams. The modular layout of the proposed microactuator promotes scalability towards different microrobotic applications using low magnetic fields.  The presented microactuator consists of three soft magnetic material (Ni-Fe 4750) blocks connected together via two Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) semi-circular beams. A detailed design approach is highlighted giving considerations toward compactness, range of motion and force characteristics of the actuator. The actuator displacement and force characteristics are approximately linear in the magnetic field strength range of 80-160 kA/m. It can achieve maximum displacements of 111.6 µm (at 160 kA/m) during extension and 10.7 µm (at 80 kA/m) during contraction under no-load condition. The maximum force output of the microactuator, computed through a contact simulation, was 404.3 nN at a magnetic field strength of 160 kA/m. The microactuator achieved stroke angles up to 18.4 in a study where the microactuator was integrated with a swimming microrobot executing rowing motion using an artificial appendage, providing insight into the capabilities of actuating untethered microrobots

    21st Century Nanostructured Materials

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    Nanostructured materials (NMs) are attracting interest as low-dimensional materials in the high-tech era of the 21st century. Recently, nanomaterials have experienced breakthroughs in synthesis and industrial and biomedical applications. This book presents recent achievements related to NMs such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, plasmonic materials, metal nanowires, metal oxides, nanoparticles, metamaterials, nanofibers, and nanocomposites, along with their physical and chemical aspects. Additionally, the book discusses the potential uses of these nanomaterials in photodetectors, transistors, quantum technology, chemical sensors, energy storage, silk fibroin, composites, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and sustainable agriculture and environmental applications
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