journal article·2025-08

Unconventional Stiffening Behavior of Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymers in Aqueous Environments for Thermally Activated Artificial Muscles

Zhenhua Xiao, Mengze Lu, Shenglin Yao, Jun Yuan, Junkai Liang, Yuan‐Fang Zhang, Wei Zhang, Tao Wen, Liqun Tang, Taolin Sun

Small· Volume 21· Issue 32
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract Biological systems achieve multifunctionality through dynamic stiffness modulation, yet replicating this adaptability in synthetic actuators remains challenging. Paradigm‐shifting thermally triggered shape‐memory polymers (SMPs) are reported that defies conventional thermal softening behavior. By designing amphiphilic triblock copolymers with various block chain lengths, water‐induced microphase separation is exploited to achieve anomalous enhancement in stiffness—specially, a remarkable 170‐fold modulus increase in aqueous environments at 25 °C, along with a sustained 1.8‐fold amplification even at 80 °C. This counterintuitive thermal stiffening behavior of SMPs facilitates the design of soft actuators capable of simultaneous shape recovery and stiffening during actuation, resulting in soft actuators with high actuation multifunctionality. The system demonstrates exceptional actuation stress (650 kPa), rapid response (<4 s), and work capacity (35.2 kJ m − 3 ). This thermally triggered SMPs with tunable stiffness may expand the application range of soft actuators in extreme environments, such as object manipulation in hot springs and deep‐sea hydrothermal vents.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Polymer composites and self-healing · Advanced Materials and Mechanics · Dielectric materials and actuators

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Emergent Soft Matter South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China

Shien‐Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou 511442 China

Scool of Civil Engineering and Transportation South China University of Technology No.381, Wushan Road Guangzhou 510640 China

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China

State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Guangzhou 510640 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province

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