Material assembly from collective action of shape-changing polymers.

Some animals form transient, responsive and solid-like ensembles through dynamic structural interactions. These ensembles demonstrate emergent responses such as spontaneous self-assembly, which are difficult to achieve in synthetic soft matter. Here we use shape-morphing units comprising responsive polymers to create solids that self-assemble, modulate their volume and disassemble on demand. The ensemble is composed of a responsive hydrogel, liquid crystal elastomer or semicrystalline polymer ribbons that reversibly bend or twist. The dispersions of these ribbons mechanically interlock, inducing reversible aggregation. The aggregated liquid crystal elastomer ribbons have a 12-fold increase in the yield stress compared with cooled dispersion and contract by 34% on heating. Ribbon type, concentration and shape dictate the aggregation and govern the global mechanical properties of the solid that forms. Coating liquid crystal elastomer ribbons with a liquid metal begets photoresponsive and electrically conductive aggregates, whereas seeding cells on hydrogel ribbons enables self-assembling three-dimensional scaffolds, providing a versatile platform for the design of dynamic materials.

Competitive fitness of asymptomatic bacteriuria E. coli strain 83972 against uropathogens in human urine.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide. The main causative agent of UTI is uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). There is an immediate need for novel prophylactic and treatment strategies against UTI because of the increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance among uropathogens. ABU 83972, an asymptomatic bacteriuria-causing E. coli strain, prevents UTI by suppressing the colonization of UPEC. However, the nature of competition and growth repression of UPEC by ABU 83972 is unclear and is the subject of our investigation. Here, we characterized the growth kinetics of ABU 83972 and uropathogens in human urine and laboratory media. Next, we performed a series of competitive co-culture experiments where ABU 83972 and uropathogens were inoculated at a 1:1 ratio in human urine and in various media, and their relative abundance was determined. In human urine, ABU 83972 outcompeted UPEC and additional uropathogens, reaching up to 90% of the total population after 24 hours of incubation. In contrast, UPEC outcompeted ABU 83972 in LB and M9 minimal media and exhibited superior colonization than ABU 83972 in the mouse urinary bladder. Since engineered living materials (ELMs) can be used to retain an organism of interest in a particular location, we developed ABU 83972-containing ELMs that effectively outcompeted UPEC in human urine. In summary, our work establishes that ABU 83972 outcompetes UPEC in a milieu- and cell-density-dependent manner, highlighting the importance of the metabolites and nutrients found in the human urine as determinants of the competitive fitness of ABU 83972.

Azobenzene-Functionalized Semicrystalline Liquid Crystal Elastomer Springs for Underwater Soft Robotic Actuators.

As actuated devices become smaller and more complex, there is a need for smart materials and structures that directly function as complete mechanical units without an external power supply. The strategy uses light-powered, twisted, and coiled azobenzene-functionalized semicrystalline liquid crystal elastomer (AC-LCE) springs. This twisting and coiling, which has previously been used for only thermally, electrochemically, or absorption-powered muscles, maximizes uniaxial and radial actuation. The specially designed photochemical muscles can undergo about 60% tensile stroke and provide 15 kJ m-3 of work capacity in response to light, thus providing about three times and two times higher performance, respectively, than previous azobenzene actuators. Since this actuation is photochemical, driven by ultraviolet (UV) light and reversed by visible light, isothermal actuation can occur in a range of environmental conditions, including underwater. In addition, photoisomerization of the AC-LCEs enables unique latch-like actuation, eliminating the need for continuous energy application to maintain the stroke. Also, as the light-powered muscles processed to be either homochiral or heterochiral, the direction of actuation can be reversed. The presented approach highlights the novel capabilities of photochemical actuator materials that can be manipulated in untethered, isothermal, and wet environmental conditions, thus suggesting various potential applications, including underwater soft robotics.

Three-dimensional blueprinting of molecular patterns in liquid crystalline polymers.

Exploiting the interplay of anisotropic diamagnetic susceptibility of liquid crystalline monomers and site selective photopolymerization enables the fabrication of 3D freeforms with highly refined microstructures. Utilizing chain transfer agents in the mesogenic inks presents a pathway for broadly tuning the mechanical properties of liquid crystalline polymers and their response to stimuli. In particular, the combination of 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol and tetrabromomethane is shown to enable voxelated blueprinting of molecular order, while allowing for a modulation of the crosslink density and the mechanical properties. The formulation of these monomers allows for the resolution of the voxels to approach the limits set by the coherence lengths defined by the anchoring from surfaces. These compositions demonstrate the expected thermotropic responses while allowing for their functionalization with photochromic switches to elicit photomechanical responses. Actuation strains are shown to outstrip that accomplished with prior systems that did not access chain transfer agents to modulate the structure of the macromolecular network. Test cases of this system are shown to create freeform actuators that exploit the refined director patterns during high-resolution printing. These include topological defects, hierarchically-structured light responsive grippers, and biomimetic flyers whose flight dynamics can be actively modulated via irradiation with light.

Self-Assembled Microactuators Using Chiral Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

Materials that undergo reversible changes in form typically require top-down processing to program the microstructure of the material. As a result, it is difficult to program microscale, 3D shape-morphing materials that undergo non-uniaxial deformations. Here, a simple bottom-up fabrication approach to prepare bending microactuators is described. Spontaneous self-assembly of liquid crystal (LC) monomers with controlled chirality within 3D micromold results in a change in molecular orientation across thickness of the microstructure. As a result, heating induces bending in these microactuators. The concentration of chiral dopant is varied to adjust the chirality of the monomer mixture. Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) microactuators doped with 0.05 wt% of chiral dopant produce needle-shaped actuators that bend from flat to an angle of 27.2 ± 11.3° at 180 °C. Higher concentrations of chiral dopant lead to actuators with reduced bending, and lower concentrations of chiral dopant lead to actuators with poorly controlled bending. Asymmetric molecular alignment inside 3D structure is confirmed by sectioning actuators. Arrays of microactuators that all bend in the same direction can be fabricated if symmetry of geometry of the microstructure is broken. It is envisioned that the new platform to synthesize microstructures can further be applied in soft robotics and biomedical devices.

A multifunctional shape-morphing elastomer with liquid metal inclusions.

Natural soft tissue achieves a rich variety of functionality through a hierarchy of molecular, microscale, and mesoscale structures and ordering. Inspired by such architectures, we introduce a soft, multifunctional composite capable of a unique combination of sensing, mechanically robust electronic connectivity, and active shape morphing. The material is composed of a compliant and deformable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) matrix that can achieve macroscopic shape change through a liquid crystal phase transition. The matrix is dispersed with liquid metal (LM) microparticles that are used to tailor the thermal and electrical conductivity of the LCE without detrimentally altering its mechanical or shape-morphing properties. Demonstrations of this composite for sensing, actuation, circuitry, and soft robot locomotion suggest the potential for versatile, tissue-like multifunctionality.

Liquid Crystalline Polymers: Opportunities to Shape Neural Interfaces.

OBJECTIVES: Polymers have emerged as constituent materials for the creation of microscale neural interfaces; however, limitations regarding water permeability, delamination, and material degradation impact polymeric device robustness. Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) have molecular order like a solid but with the fluidity of a liquid, resulting in a unique material, with properties including low water permeability, chemical inertness, and mechanical toughness. The objective of this article is to review the state-of-the-art regarding the use of LCPs in neural interface applications and discuss challenges and opportunities where this class of materials can advance the field of neural interfaces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review article focuses on studies that leverage LCP materials to interface with the nervous system in vivo. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), and Google Scholar. RESULTS: There have been recent efforts to create neural interfaces that leverage the material advantages of LCPs. The literature offers examples of LCP as a basis for implantable medical devices and neural interfaces in the form of planar electrode arrays for retinal prosthetic, electrocorticography applications, and cuff-like structures for interfacing the peripheral nerve. In addition, there have been efforts to create penetrating intracortical devices capable of microstimulation and resolution of biopotentials. Recent work with a subclass of LCPs, namely liquid crystal elastomers, demonstrates that it is possible to create devices with features that deploy away from a central implantation site to interface with a volume of tissue while offering the possibility of minimizing tissue damage. CONCLUSION: We envision the creation of novel microscale neural interfaces that leverage the physical properties of LCPs and have the capability of deploying within neural tissue for enhanced integration and performance.

Stimuli-responsive engineered living materials.

Stimuli-responsive materials are able to undergo controllable changes in materials properties in response to external cues. Increasing efforts have been directed towards building materials that mimic the responsive nature of biological systems. Nevertheless, limitations remain surrounding the way these synthetic materials interact and respond to their environment. In particular, it is difficult to synthesize synthetic materials that respond with specificity to poorly differentiated (bio)chemical and weak physical stimuli. The emerging area of engineered living materials (ELMs) includes composites that combine living cells and synthetic materials. ELMs have yielded promising advances in the creation of stimuli-responsive materials that respond with diverse outputs in response to a broad array of biochemical and physical stimuli. This review describes advances made in the genetic engineering of the living component and the processing-property relationships of stimuli-responsive ELMs. Finally, the implementation of stimuli-responsive ELMs as environmental sensors, biomedical sensors, drug delivery vehicles, and soft robots is discussed.

4D-Printing of Photoswitchable Actuators.

Shape-switching behavior, where a transient stimulus induces an indefinitely stable deformation that can be recovered on exposure to another transient stimulus, is critical to building smart structures from responsive polymers as continue power is not needed to maintain deformations. Herein, we 4D-print shape-switching liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) functionalized with supramolecular crosslinks, dynamic covalent crosslinks, and azobenzene. The salient property of shape-switching LCEs is that light induces long-lived, deformation that can be recovered on-demand by heating. UV-light isomerizes azobenzene from trans to cis, and temporarily breaks the supramolecular crosslinks, resulting in a programmed deformation. After UV, the shape-switching LCEs fix more than 90 % of the deformation over 3 days by the reformed supramolecular crosslinks. Using the shape-switching properties, we print Braille-like actuators that can be photoswitched to display different letters. This new class of photoswitchable actuators may impact applications such as deployable devices where continuous application of power is impractical.

Size of liquid metal particles influences actuation properties of a liquid crystal elastomer composite.

Composites of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) that are electrically conductive have the potential to function as soft "artificial muscle" actuators that can be reversibly stimulated with electrical Joule-heating. Conductivity can be achieved by embedding the LCE with droplets of an alloy of gallium and indium that is liquid at room temperature. These soft artificial muscles are capable of >50% reversible actuation with an applied load. The key to actuation at high loadings of liquid metal (LM) is that the droplets deform with the surrounding matrix. By controlling the size of LM droplets through simple processing techniques, we show that the actuator properties of the LM-LCE muscle can be tuned. For example, composites with smaller liquid metal particles (ca. 10 µm or less) are stiffer than those with larger liquid metal particles (ca. >100 µm) and are capable of greater force output. However, smaller particles reduce actuation strain and composites with large particles exhibit significantly greater stroke length. Such tunability in actuation properties permits the fabrication of specialized soft artificial muscles, where processing of the composite controls actuation strain and actuation force.

Molecularly-ordered hydrogels with controllable, anisotropic stimulus response.

Hydrogels which morph between programmed shapes in response to aqueous stimuli are of significant interest for biosensors and artificial muscles, among other applications. However, programming hydrogel shape change at small size scales is a significant challenge. Here we use the inherent ordering capabilities of liquid crystals to create a mechanically anisotropic hydrogel; when coupled with responsive comonomers, the mechanical anisotropy in the network guides shape change in response to the desired aqueous condition. Our synthetic strategy hinges on the use of a methacrylic chromonic liquid crystal monomer which can be combined with a non-polymerizable chromonic of similar structure to vary the magnitude of shape change while retaining liquid crystalline order. This shape change is directional due to the mechanical anisotropy of the gel, which is up to 50% stiffer along the chromonic stack direction than perpendicular. Additionally, we show that the type of stimulus to which these anisotropic gels respond can be switched by incorporating responsive, hydrophilic comonomers without destroying the nematic phase or alignment. The utility of these properties is demonstrated in polymerized microstructures which exhibit Gaussian curvature in response to high pH due to emergent ordering in a micron-sized capillary.

Topology optimization for the design of folding liquid crystal elastomer actuators.

Aligned liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are capable of undergoing large reversible shape change in response to thermal stimuli and may act as actuators for many potential applications such as self-assembly and deployment of micro devices. Recent advances in LCE patterning tools have demonstrated sub-millimetre control of director orientation, enabling the preparation of materials with arbitrarily complex director fields. However, without design tools to connect the 2D director pattern with the activated 3D shape, LCE design relies on intuition and trial and error. Here we present a design methodology to generate reliable folding in monolithic LCEs designed with topology optimization. The distributions of order/disorder and director orientations are optimized so that the remotely actuated deformation closely matches a target deformation for origami folding. The optimal design exhibits a strategy to counteract the mechanical frustration that may lead to an undesirable deformation, such as anti-clastic bending. Multi-hinge networks were developed using insights from the optimal hinge designs and were demonstrated through the fabrication and reversible actuation of a self-folding box. Topology optimization provides an important step towards leveraging the opportunities afforded by LCE patterning into functional designs.

Bridging polymer architecture, printability, and properties by digital light processing of block copolycarbonates.

CO2-based aliphatic polycarbonates (aPCs), produced through the alternating copolymerization of epoxides with CO2, present an appealing option for sustainable polymeric materials owing to their renewable feedstock and degradable characteristics. An ongoing challenge in working with aPCs is modifying their mechanical properties to meet specific demands. Herein, we report that monomer ratio and polymer architecture of aPCs impact not only printability by digital light processing (DLP) additive manufacturing, but also dictate the thermomechanical and degradation properties of the printed objects. We found that block copolymers exhibit tailorable thermomechanical properties ranging from soft elastomeric to strong and brittle as the proportion of hard blocks increases, whereas the homopolymer blend failed to print objects and statistical copolymers delaminated or overcured, displaying the weakest mechanical properties. In addition, the hydrolytic degradation of the prints was demonstrated under various conditions, revealing that BCP prints containing a higher proportion of hard blocks had slower degradation and that statistical copolymer prints degraded more slowly than their BCP counterparts. This study underscores that polymer composition and architecture both play key roles in resin printability and bulk properties, offering significant prospects for advancing sustainable materials in additive manufacturing through polymer design.

Controlled release of microorganisms from engineered living materials.

Probiotics offer therapeutic benefits by modulating the local microbiome, the host immune response, and the proliferation of pathogens. Probiotics have the potential to treat complex diseases, but their persistence or colonization is required at the target site for effective treatment. Although probiotic persistence can be achieved by repeated delivery, no biomaterial that releases clinically relevant doses of metabolically active probiotics in a sustained manner has been previously described. Here, we encapsulate stiff probiotic microorganisms within relatively less stiff hydrogels and show a generic mechanism where these microorganisms proliferate and induce hydrogel fracture, resulting in microbial release. Importantly, this fracture-based mechanism leads to microorganism release with zero-order release kinetics. Using this mechanism, small (∼1 µL) engineered living materials (ELMs) release >10 8 colony-forming-units (CFUs) of E. coli in 2 h. This release is sustained for at least 10 days. Cell release can be varied by more than three orders of magnitude by varying initial cell loading and modulating the mechanical properties of encapsulating matrix. As the governing mechanism of microbial release is entirely mechanical, we demonstrate controlled release of model Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and fungal probiotics from multiple hydrogel matrices. SIGNIFICANCE: Probiotics offer therapeutic benefits and have the potential to treat complex diseases, but their persistence at the target site is often required for effective treatment. Although probiotic persistence can be achieved by repeated delivery, no biomaterial that releases metabolically active probiotics in a sustained manner has been developed yet. This work demonstrates a generic mechanism where stiff probiotics encapsulated within relatively less stiff hydrogels proliferate and induce hydrogel fracture. This allows a zero-order release of probiotics which can be easily controlled by adjusting the properties of the encapsulating matrices. This generic mechanism is applicable for a wide range of probiotics with different synthetic matrices and has the potential to be used in the treatment of a broad range of diseases.

Reconfigurable Growth of Engineered Living Materials.

The growth of multicellular organisms is a process akin to additive manufacturing where cellular proliferation and mechanical boundary conditions, among other factors, drive morphogenesis. Engineers have limited ability to engineer morphogenesis to manufacture goods or to reconfigure materials comprised of biomass. Herein, a method that uses biological processes to grow and regrow magnetic engineered living materials (mELMs) into desired geometries is reported. These composites contain Saccharomyces cerevisiae and magnetic particles within a hydrogel matrix. The reconfigurable manufacturing process relies on the growth of living cells, magnetic forces, and elastic recovery of the hydrogel. The mELM then adopts a form in an external magnetic field. Yeast within the material proliferates, resulting in 259 ± 14% volume expansion. Yeast proliferation fixes the magnetic deformation, even when the magnetic field is removed. The shape fixity can be up to 99.3 ± 0.3%. The grown mELM can recover up to 73.9 ± 1.9% of the original form by removing yeast cell walls. The directed growth and recovery process can be repeated at least five times. This work enables ELMs to be processed and reprocessed into user-defined geometries without external material deposition.

Evaluation of Low-Loss Polymer Switches for Multinuclear MRI/S.

Implementation of multinuclear MRI/S as a diagnostic tool in clinical settings faces many challenges. One of those challenges is the development of highly sensitive multinuclear RF coils. Current multi-tuning techniques incorporate lossy components that impact the highest achievable SNR for at least one of the coil frequencies. As a result, optimization of multinuclear coil designs continues to be a priority for RF hardware engineers. To address this challenge, a new frequency switching technology that incorporates stimuli-responsive polymer materials was explored. Q measurements were used as a comparison metric between single-tuned, a standard switching network, and the proposed switching technology. The Q losses measured in the new switching method remained below 38% when compared to single-tuned coils. These results are consistent with low loss values reported using traditional switching networks. Furthermore, preliminary testing indicates that there is potential for improvement. These results establish the new technology as a promising alternative to traditional switching techniques.Clinical Relevance- A low loss multi-tuning technique for MRI radiofrequency coils has the potential of improving the study and diagnosis of disease.

Liquid crystal elastomer based dynamic device for urethral support: Potential treatment for stress urinary incontinence.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is characterized by the involuntary loss of urine due to increased intra-abdominal pressure during coughing, sneezing, or exercising. SUI affects 20-40% of the female population and is exacerbated by aging. Severe SUI is commonly treated with surgical implantation of an autologous or a synthetic sling underneath the urethra for support. These slings, however, are static, and their tension cannot be non-invasively adjusted, if needed, after implantation. This study reports the fabrication of a novel device based on liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) capable of changing shape in response to temperature increase induced by transcutaneous IR light. The shape change of the LCE-based device was characterized in a scar tissue phantom model. An in vitro urinary tract model was designed to study the efficacy of the LCE-based device to support continence and adjust sling tension with IR illumination. Finally, the device was acutely implanted and tested for induced tension changes in female multiparous New Zealand white rabbits. The LCE device achieved 5.6% ± 1.1% actuation when embedded in an agar gel with an elastic modulus of 100 kPa. The corresponding device temperature was 44.9 °C ± 0.4 °C, and the surrounding agar temperature stayed at 42.1 °C ± 0.4 °C. Leaking time in the in vitro urinary tract model significantly decreased (p < 0.0001) when an LCE-based cuff was sutured around the model urethra from 5.2min ± 1min to 2min ±0.5min when the cuff was illuminated with IR light. Normalized leak point force (LPF) increased significantly (p = 0.01) with the implantation of an LCE-CB cuff around the bladder neck of multiparous rabbits. It decreased significantly (p = 0.023) when the device was actuated via IR light illumination. These results demonstrate that LCE material could be used to fabricate a dynamic device for treating SUI in women.

Digitally Programmable Manufacturing of Living Materials Grown from Biowaste.

Material manufacturing strategies that use little energy, valorize waste, and result in degradable products are urgently needed. Strategies that transform abundant biomass into functional materials form one approach to these emerging manufacturing techniques. From a biological standpoint, morphogenesis of biological tissues is a "manufacturing" mode without energy-intensive processes, large carbon footprints, and toxic wastes. Inspired by biological morphogenesis, we propose a manufacturing strategy by embedding living Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) within a synthetic acrylic hydrogel matrix. By culturing the living materials in media derived from bread waste, encapsulated yeast cells can proliferate, resulting in a dramatic dry mass and volume increase of the whole living material. After growth, the final material is up to 96 wt % biomass and 590% larger in volume than the initial object. By digitally programming the cell viability through UV irradiation or photodynamic inactivation, the living materials can form complex user-defined relief surfaces or 3D objects during growth. Ultimately, the grown structures can also be designed to be degradable. The proposed living material manufacturing strategy cultured from biowaste may pave the way for future ecologically friendly manufacturing of materials.

Controlling shape morphing and cell release in engineered living materials.

Engineered living materials (ELMs) derive functionality from both a polymer matrix and the behavior of living cells within the material. The long-term goal of this work is to enable a system of ELM-based medical devices with both mechanical and bioactive functionality. Here, we fabricate multifunctional, stimuli-responsive ELMs comprised of acrylic hydrogel matrix and Escherichia coli. These ELMs undergo controlled changes in form and have a controlled release of bacteria from the composite. We hypothesize that the mechanical forces associated with cell proliferation within a covalently-crosslinked, non-degradable hydrogel are responsible for both phenomena. At constant cell loading, increased hydrogel elastic modulus significantly reduces both cell delivery and volume change associated with cell proliferation. ELMs that change volume over 100 % also result in ~106 colony forming units/mL in the growth medium over 2 h after 1 day of growth. At constant monomer feed ratios, increased cell loading leads to significantly increased cell delivery. Finally, these prokaryotic ELMs were investigated for their potential to deliver a probiotic that can reduce the proliferation of a uropathogen in vitro. Controlling the long-term delivery of bacteria could potentially be used in biomedical applications to modulate microbial communities within the human body.

Programmable Shape Change in Semicrystalline Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are stimuli-responsive materials capable of reversible and programmable shape change in response to an environmental stimulus. Despite the highly responsive nature of these materials, the modest elastic modulus and blocking stress exhibited by these actuating materials can be limiting in some engineering applications. Here, we engineer a semicrystalline LCE, where the incorporation of semicrystallinity in a lightly cross-linked liquid crystalline network yields tough and highly responsive materials. Directed self-assembly can be employed to program director profiles through the thickness of the semicrystalline LCE. In short, we use the alignment of a liquid crystal monomer phase to pattern the anisotropy of a semicrystalline polymer network. Both the semicrystalline-liquid crystalline and liquid crystalline-isotropic phase transition temperatures provide controllable shape transformations. A planarly aligned sample's normalized dimension parallel to the nematic director decreases from 1 at room temperature to 0.42 at 250 °C. The introduction of the semicrystalline nature also enhances the mechanical properties exhibited by the semicrystalline LCE. Semicrystalline LCEs have a storage modulus of 390 MPa at room temperature, and monodomain samples are capable of generating a contractile stress of 2.7 MPa on heating from 25 to 50 °C, far below the nematic to isotropic transition temperature. The robust mechanical properties of this material combined with the high actuation strain can be leveraged for applications such as soft robotics and actuators capable of doing significant work.