Pre-programmable pneumatic actuator: leveraging mechanical anisotropy of nonwoven fabrics with an integrated tensile sensor.

The emergence of flexible fabric-based pneumatic actuators (FPAs) with pre-programmable motion capabilities, enhanced security and versatile interaction features significantly advances the construction of sophisticated soft robotic systems, owing to their enhanced security and versatile interaction features. Despite these promising attributes, the commercial viability of FPA products faces a considerable amount of challenges, primarily stemming from the scarcity of highly deformable fabric structures and the availability of industrial fabrication approaches. Taking inspiration from the anisotropic nature of lobster antennae, we propose a scalable and economical strategy to fabricate functional FPAs using nonwoven fabric material with superior mechanical anisotropy.

Recent advances in cotton fabric-based photocatalytic composites for the degradation of organic contaminants.

Cotton is one of the oldest and most widely used natural fibers in the world. It enables a wide range of applications due to its excellent moisture absorption, thermal insulation, heat resistance, and durability. Benefiting from current developments in textile technology and materials science, people are constantly seeking more comfortable, more beautiful and more versatile cotton fabrics.

Highly stable and low-temperature-tolerant zinc ion storage enabled by carbitol electrolyte additive engineering.

Aqueous zinc (Zn)-ion energy storage system is widely regarded as a promising candidate for future electrochemical energy storage applications but suffers insufficient lifespan and limited operating temperature. To address these issues, we introduce a carbitol additive for a novel hybrid electrolyte to enhance cycling stability and temperature adaptability by optimizing the coordination structure of Zn ion. The modified electrolyte not only restrains the hydrogen evolution, but also promotes a high-orientation Zn deposition and significantly limits the Zn dendrite growth.

Wearable Triboelectric Nanogenerators Based on Polyamide Composites Doped with 2D Graphitic Carbon Nitride.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have attracted many researchers' attention with their remarkable potential despite the fact that the practical implementation requires further improvement in their electric performance. In this work, a novel graphene phase two-dimension material, graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), was employed for the development of a TENG material with enhanced features. An electrospun nanofibrous PA membrane doped with g-CN was fabricated as a multifunctional TENG for harvesting different kinds of mechanical energy and detecting human motions.

Synthesis and photochromism of catechol-containing symmetrical azobenzene compounds.

Symmetrical azobenzene derivatives with two catechol groups, 1d-4d, were synthesized as kinds of novel compounds, and the structures were confirmed using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These compounds could attain photostationary state rapidly in solution upon UV irradiation, and their photochromism had good reversibility. Substituents and their positions on azobenzene chromophore had obvious influence on the maximum absorption and photochromic performances of these as-synthesized compounds.

Novel and Sustainable Colorants Developed via Incorporating Azo Chromophores into Dopamine Molecules.

Inspired by the application of dopamine as an "anchor" and UV absorber, novel sustainable colorants with biscatecholic structure were synthesized through a simple incorporation of simple azo chromophores with dopamine. Their structures were confirmed using MS and NMR analyses, and their application on textile materials was investigated. Compared to the simple azo chromophores with almost no coloring ability on fabrics, the biscatecholic colorants could color different fabrics effectively, mainly through self-polymerization only in the presence of a trace amount of organic base at room temperature, which is environmentally friendly in terms of saving resources and alleviating chemical pollution.

Charge-controllable mussel-inspired magnetic nanocomposites for selective dye adsorption and separation.

Magnetic polydopamine (PDA) nanocomposites were prepared with a facile and sustainable synthetic method. The as-synthesized polymer-based hybrid composites inherited the intrinsic adhesiveness contributed by catechol and amino moieties of PDA as well as the magnetic property of FeO. With the unique properties of PDA, the surface charges of FeO@PDA could be easily tuned by pH for smart adsorption-desorption behaviors.