Self-peeling of gecko toes is mimicked by integration of film-terminated fibrillar adhesives to hybrid nematic liquid crystal network (LCN) cantilevers. A soft gripper is developed based on the gecko-inspired attachment/detachment mechanism. Performance of the fabricated gripper for transportation of thin delicate objects is evaluated by the optimum mechanical strength of the LCN and the maximum size of the adhesive patch.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201604021 | DOI Listing |
Soft Matter
January 2025
Department of Physics, Government College of Engineering and Textile Technology, 12 William Carey Road, Serampore, Hooghly-712201, India.
The theoretical study of instabilities, thermal fluctuations, and topological defects in the crystal-rotator-I-rotator-II (X-R-R) phase transitions of -alkanes has been conducted. First, we examine the nature of the R-R phase transition in nanoconfined alkanes. We propose that under confined conditions, the presence of quenched random orientational disorder makes the R phase unstable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Res Int
February 2025
School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Energy Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, College Road 1, Dongguan 523808, China.
Water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (W/O-HIPEs) typically rely on large amounts of surfactants to disperse water droplets and usually use crystalline saturated triacylglycerides (TAGs) to enhance processing properties. However, these practices conflict with consumer demands for 'natural' ingredients. This study seeks to develop novel crystal fractions similar to saturated TAGs for the preparation of W/O-HIPEs as low-calorie fat mimetics, focusing on their mechanical and mouthfeel properties, which have received little attention thus far.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoft Matter
January 2025
Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
We report an experimental study on how topological defects induced by cylindrical air inclusions in the ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal RM734 are influenced by ionic doping, including an ionic surfactant and ionic polymer. Our results show that subtle differences in molecular structure can lead to distinct surface alignments and topological defects. The ionic surfactant induces a planar alignment, with two -1/2 line defects adhering to the cylindrical bubble surface.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Sci (Weinh)
January 2025
School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
The past decade witnessed a surge in discoveries where biological systems, such as bacteria or living cells, inherently portray active polar or nematic behavior: they prefer to align with each other and form local order during migration. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, utilizing their physical properties to achieve controllable cell-layer transport will be of fundamental importance. In this study, the ratchet effect is harnessed to control the collective motion of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in vitro.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chem
January 2025
Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China.
Nanoplastics, emerging as pervasive environmental pollutants, pose significant threats to ecosystems and human health due to their small size and potential toxicity. However, detecting trace levels of nanoplastics remains challenging because of limitations in the current analytical methods. Herein, we propose a method that combines superhydrophobic enrichment with SERS analysis for detecting trace nanoplastics in aqueous environments.
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