title: Bending of Responsive Hydrogel Sheets Guided by Field-Assembled Microparticle Endoskeleton Structures.
abstract: Hydrogel composites that respond to stimuli can form the basis of new classes of biomimetic actuators and soft robotic components. Common latex microspheres can be assembled and patterned by AC electric fields within a soft thermoresponsive hydrogel. The field-oriented particle chains act as endoskeletal structures, which guide the macroscopic bending pattern of the actuators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7905, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7905, USA.
authors.forename: Bhuvnesh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bharti
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7905, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Dickey
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7905, USA.
authors.forename: Orlin D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Velev
mesh_terms: D032701:Biomimetics; D020100:Hydrogels; D010316:Particle Size; D012371:Robotics
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels
keywords: colloidal assembly; dielectrophoresis; hydrogel composites; shape-reconfiguration; soft actuators