Ultralight, strong, and self-reprogrammable mechanical metamaterials.

Versatile programmable materials have long been envisioned that can reconfigure themselves to adapt to changing use cases in adaptive infrastructure, space exploration, disaster response, and more. We introduce a robotic structural system as an implementation of programmable matter, with mechanical performance and scale on par with conventional high-performance materials and truss systems. Fiber-reinforced composite truss-like building blocks form strong, stiff, and lightweight lattice structures as mechanical metamaterials.

Discretely assembled mechanical metamaterials.

Mechanical metamaterials offer exotic properties based on local control of cell geometry and their global configuration into structures and mechanisms. Historically, these have been made as continuous, monolithic structures with additive manufacturing, which affords high resolution and throughput, but is inherently limited by process and machine constraints. To address this issue, we present a construction system for mechanical metamaterials based on discrete assembly of a finite set of parts, which can be spatially composed for a range of properties such as rigidity, compliance, chirality, and auxetic behavior.

SC lipid model membranes designed for studying impact of ceramide species on drug diffusion and permeation, part III: influence of penetration enhancer on diffusion and permeation of model drugs.

The impact of the lipophilic penetration enhancer, oleic acid (OA), on the barrier properties of stratum corneum (SC) lipid model membranes was investigated based on diffusion and permeation studies of model drugs covering a broad range of lipophilicities. Diffusion and permeation experiments of urea, caffeine and diclofenac sodium were conducted using Franz-type diffusion cells. HPLC and capillary electrophoresis techniques were employed to analyze the amount of permeated drug.

SC lipid model membranes designed for studying impact of ceramide species on drug diffusion and permeation--part II: diffusion and permeation of model drugs.

The barrier function of two quaternary stratum corneum (SC) lipid model membranes, which were previously characterized with regard to the lipid organization, was investigated based on diffusion studies of model drugs with varying lipophilicities. Diffusion experiments of a hydrophilic drug, urea, and more lipophilic drugs than urea (i.e.

Characterization of lipid model membranes designed for studying impact of ceramide species on drug diffusion and penetration.

The stratum corneum (SC) intercellular lipid matrix plays a crucial role in the skin barrier function. In the present study, lipid model membranes mimicking its phase behavior were prepared and characterized using different analytical techniques (i.a.