Smart Hydrogel-Based Valves Inspired by the Stomata in Plants
| Autor: | Chandamany Arya, Ankit Gargava, Srinivasa R. Raghavan |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Acrylamide
Acrylamides Biomimetic materials Materials science Plant Stomata Photoacid generator Hydrogels Nanotechnology 02 engineering and technology 010402 general chemistry 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Critical value 01 natural sciences 0104 chemical sciences Solvent Membrane Chemical engineering Biomimetic Materials Self-healing hydrogels General Materials Science Solvent composition 0210 nano-technology |
| Zdroj: | ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 8:18430-18438 |
| ISSN: | 1944-8252 1944-8244 |
| Popis: | We report the design of hydrogels that can act as "smart" valves or membranes. Each hydrogel is engineered with a pore (about 1 cm long and1 mm thick) that remains closed under ambient conditions but opens under specific conditions. Our design is inspired by the stomatal valves in plant leaves, which regulate the movement of water and gases in and out of the leaves. The design features two different gels, active and passive, which are attached concentrically to form a disc-shaped hybrid film. The pore is created in the central active gel, and the conditions for opening the pore can be tuned based on the chemistry of this gel. For example, if the active gel is made from N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA), the actuation of the pore depends on the temperature of water relative to 32 °C, which is the lower-critical solution temperature (LCST) of NIPA. The concentric design of our hybrid provides directionality to the volumetric transition of the active gel, i.e., it ensures that the pore opens as the active gel shrinks. In turn, contact with hot water (T32 °C) opens the pore and allows the water to pass through the gel. Conversely, the pore remains closed when the water is cold (T32 °C). The gel thereby acts as a "smart" valve that is able to regulate the flow of solvent depending on its properties. We have extended the concept to other stimuli that can cause gel-swelling transitions including solvent composition, pH, and light. Additionally, when two different gel-based valves are arranged in series, the assembly acts as a logical "AND" gate, i.e., water flows through the valve-combination only if it simultaneously satisfies two distinct conditions (such as its pH being below a critical value and its temperature being above a critical value). |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|