Polydopamine-Modified MXene-Integrated Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) to Construct Ultrafast Photoresponsive Bilayer Hydrogel Actuators with Smart Adhesion

Abstract

In nature, living organisms, such as octopuses, cabrito, and frogs, have already evolved admirable adhesive abilities for better movement and predation in response to the surroundings. Inspired by biological structures, researchers have made enormous efforts in developing actuators that can respond to external stimuli, while such adhesive property is very desired, yet there is still limited research in responsive hydrogel actuators. Here, a bilayer actuator with high stretchability and robust interface bonding is presented, which has a smart adhesion and thermoreception function. The system consists of an adhesive passive layer copolymerized of amphoteric ([2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl), SBMA) and acrylic acid (AA), and an active layer hydrogel composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) containing polydopamine-modified MXene (P-MXene) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂). The coordination of carboxylate and Ca²⁺ at the interface of the two layers enhances the interfacial bonding from 14 to 30 N m^-1, which facilitates withstanding large strain and preventing stratification. The resulting hydrogel actuator can bend approximately 360° in a mere 10 s, exhibiting excellent photothermal effect, a large angle bending deformation, and ultrafast photoresponsive ability. As a proof of concept, the photothermal actuators are programmed to present various shapes and grab objects. Importantly, the hydrogel actuator exhibits remarkable adhesion capabilities toward diverse substrates, with a maximum peel force of up to 280 N m^-1. Relying on their own adhesion and the photoresponse properties, these flexible adhesion actuators show outstanding gripping capability, enabling them to grip and release objects of different shapes and weights. More interestingly, the hydrogel exhibits a smart adjustable adhesion capability at different temperatures, which enables it as a gripper to recognize temperature signals through real-time different feedback actions based on its own adhesion. This study presents innovative insights into biomimetic hydrogel actuators, providing new opportunities for developing intelligent soft robots with multiple functions.

Keywords: MXene; bilayer actuators; photoresponsive hydrogels; smart adhesion; thermoreception.