Multifunctional actuators integrated with the function of self-powered temperature sensing made with Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites.

In recent years, multifunctional actuators have received increasing attention and development. In particular, researchers have conducted extensive research on intelligent actuators with integrated sensing functions. Temperature is an important parameter for the deformation of bilayer thermal actuators. By obtaining the temperature information of a bilayer thermal actuator, the deformation amplitude and its state can be judged. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a type of intelligent actuator with a self-powered temperature sensing function. Herein, Ti3C2Tx-based composites modified with bamboo nanofibers have been proposed and applied to intelligent actuators integrated with a self-powered temperature sensing function. By utilizing the coefficients of thermal expansion between Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites and a polyimide film, a bilayer photo/electro-driven thermal actuator is designed which shows a bending curvature as large as 1.9 cm-1. In addition, Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites have a Seebeck coefficient of -9.15 µV K-1, and are N-type thermoelectric materials and can be used as the component of self-powered temperature sensors. Finally, a series of practical applications were designed, including a light-driven floating actuator (with a moving speed of 5 mm s-1), biomimetic sunflowers, bionic tentacles, and a multifunctional gripper integrated with a self-powered temperature sensing function. In particular, the multifunctional grippers can output voltage signals carrying their temperature information without external complex power sources, demonstrating their potential for remote monitoring. The above results demonstrate that Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites have extensive practical applications in fields such as self-powered sensors, flexible thermoelectric generators, and soft actuators.

Multi-responsive and programmable actuators made with nacre-inspired graphene oxide-bacterial cellulose film.

In recent years, graphene oxide (GO)-based multi-responsive actuators have attracted great interest due to their board application in soft robots, artificial muscles, and intelligent mechanics. However, most GO-based actuators suffer from low mechanical strength. Inspired by the natural nacre, a graphene oxide-bacterial cellulose (GO-BC) film with a "brick and mortar" structure is constructed. Compared with the pure GO film, the tensile strength of the GO-BC film is increased by about 2 times. Benefiting from the rich oxygen-containing functional groups of GO sheets and BC nanofibers, the cracked GO-BC films can be pasted together with the help of water, which can be used to construct GO-BC films with multi-dimensional complex structures. Subsequently, a GO-BC/polymer actuator capable of responding to various stimuli is successfully developed through a complementary strategy of "active layer and inert layer". Further, based on the water-assisted pasting properties of GO-BC films, a series of GO-BC/polymer actuators with 3D complex deformations can be fabricated by pasting together two or more GO-BC/polymer actuators. Finally, the potential applications of multi-response GO-BC/polymer actuators in flexible robots, artificial muscles, and smart devices are demonstrated through a series of applications such as bionic sunflowers, octopus-inspired soft tentacles, and smart curtains.

Patterned Aluminum/Polydimethylsiloxane-Laminated Film for a Solvent-Driven Soft Actuator with Programmable and Multistable Shape Morphing.

Recently, soft actuators capable of deforming in predictable ways under external stimuli have attracted increasing attention by showing great potential in emerging industries. However, limited efforts are being spent on the untethered actuators with multistable deformations. Also, there is a lack of mechanically guiding design principles for multistable structures. Here, the patterned aluminum/polydimethylsiloxane (Al/PDMS)-laminated films with surface wrinkles are fabricated by magnetron sputtering the Al layer on the PDMS substrate. By tuning the geometric parameters and surface constraints of the patterned Al/PDMS-laminated films, a series of solvent-driven actuators with multiform stable configurations (such as monostable arc, multistable cylinder, and monostable/bistable spiral) are proposed. The deformation mechanism is revealed using a linear elastic theory. Combined with the finite element analysis method, the deformations of Al/PDMS-laminated films with different surface constraints and geometric configurations are visually predicted. Besides, we modulate the deformation of different parts of the Z-shaped actuators by tuning the surface constraints in different regions of the Z-shaped Al/PDMS bilayer films to achieve multiple stable deformations in a single actuator. The concept offers a huge design scope for reconfigurable soft robots. Finally, two bionic applications are proposed to demonstrate the practical applications of the soft solvent-driven actuator based on the patterned Al/PDMS films in artificial muscles and bionic robotics. This work provides a strategy for the design and fabrication of programmable and controllable soft actuators, laying the foundation for a wide range of applications in smart materials.

CAR-T Cells Based on Novel BCMA Monoclonal Antibody Block Multiple Myeloma Cell Growth.

The cell-surface protein B cell maturation antigen (BCMA, CD269) has emerged as a promising target for CAR-T cell therapy for multiple myeloma. In order to create a novel BCMA CAR, we generated a new BCMA monoclonal antibody, clone 4C8A. This antibody exhibited strong and selective binding to human BCMA. BCMA CAR-T cells containing the 4C8A scFv were readily detected with recombinant BCMA protein by flow cytometry. The cells were cytolytic for RPMI8226, H929, and MM1S multiple myeloma cells and secreted high levels of IFN-γ in vitro. BCMA-dependent cytotoxicity and IFN-γ secretion were also observed in response to CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary)-BCMA cells but not to parental CHO cells. In a mouse subcutaneous tumor model, BCMA CAR-T cells significantly blocked RPMI8226 tumor formation. When BCMA CAR-T cells were given to mice with established RPMI8226 tumors, the tumors experienced significant shrinkage due to CAR-T cell activity and tumor cell apoptosis. The same effect was observed with 3 humanized BCMA-CAR-T cells in vivo. These data indicate that novel CAR-T cells utilizing the BCMA 4C8A scFv are effective against multiple myeloma and warrant future clinical development.