Supramolecular–covalent hybrid polymers for light-activated mechanical actuation

Chuang Li; Aysenur Iscen; Hiroaki Sai; Kohei Sato; Nicholas A. Sather; Stacey M. Chin; Zaida Álvarez; Liam C. Palmer; George C. Schatz; Samuel I. Stupp

doi:10.1038/s41563-020-0707-7

Supramolecular–covalent hybrid polymers for light-activated mechanical actuation

Chuang Li, Aysenur Iscen, Hiroaki Sai, Kohei Sato, Nicholas A. Sather, Stacey M. Chin, Zaida Álvarez, Liam C. Palmer, George C. Schatz, Samuel I. Stupp^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

226 Scopus citations

Abstract

The development of synthetic structures that mimic mechanical actuation in living matter such as autonomous translation and shape changes remains a grand challenge for materials science. In living systems the integration of supramolecular structures and covalent polymers contributes to the responsive behaviour of membranes, muscles and tendons, among others. Here we describe hybrid light-responsive soft materials composed of peptide amphiphile supramolecular polymers chemically bonded to spiropyran-based networks that expel water in response to visible light. The supramolecular polymers form a reversibly deformable and water-draining skeleton that mechanically reinforces the hybrid and can also be aligned by printing methods. The noncovalent skeleton embedded in the network thus enables faster bending and flattening actuation of objects, as well as longer steps during the light-driven crawling motion of macroscopic films. Our work suggests that hybrid bonding polymers, which integrate supramolecular assemblies and covalent networks, offer strategies for the bottom-up design of soft matter that mimics living organisms.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	900-909
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature materials
Volume	19
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-020-0707-7
State	Published - Aug 1 2020

Funding

This work was supported by the Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science (CBES), an Energy Frontiers Research Center (EFRC) funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under award number DE-SC0000989. Z.A. received postdoctoral support from the Beatriu de Pinós Fellowship 2014 BP‐A 00007 (Agència de Gestió d'Ajust Universitaris i de Recerca, AGAUR) and a Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) (grant no. PVA17_RF_0008). This work made use of the Peptide Synthesis Core Facility (peptide synthesis) of the Simpson Querrey Institute at Northwestern University. This facility has current support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS–1542205). The Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University Office for Research, US Army Research Office, and the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command also provided funding to develop this facility. This work also made use of the EPIC and BioCryo facilities as well as the CryoCluster equipment of Northwestern University’s NUANCE Center, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205); the MRSEC Program (NSF DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center; the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); the Keck Foundation; and the State of Illinois, through the IIN and the MRI program (NSF DMR-1229693). This work also made use of the MatCI Facility, which receives support from the MRSEC Program (NSF DMR-1720139) of the Materials Research Center at Northwestern University. This work also made use of the IMSERC at Northwestern University, which has received support from the NIH (1S10OD012016-01/1S10RR019071-01A1), Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), the State of Illinois, and the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN). This work also made use of Keck Biophysics Facility at Northwestern University. X-ray experiments were performed at the DuPont–Northwestern–Dow Collaborative Access Team (DND-CAT) located at Sector 5 of the Advanced Photon Source (APS). DND-CAT is supported by Northwestern University, The Dow Chemical Company, and DuPont de Nemours, Inc. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under contract no. DE-AC02-06CH11357. X-ray scattering data was collected using an instrument funded by the National Science Foundation under Award Number 0960140. We thank Z. Yu for helpful discussion and R. Qiu for 1H nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy NMR analysis. We thank M. Seniw for providing schematic illustrations.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
General Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering

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10.1038/s41563-020-0707-7

Cite this

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title = "Supramolecular–covalent hybrid polymers for light-activated mechanical actuation",

abstract = "The development of synthetic structures that mimic mechanical actuation in living matter such as autonomous translation and shape changes remains a grand challenge for materials science. In living systems the integration of supramolecular structures and covalent polymers contributes to the responsive behaviour of membranes, muscles and tendons, among others. Here we describe hybrid light-responsive soft materials composed of peptide amphiphile supramolecular polymers chemically bonded to spiropyran-based networks that expel water in response to visible light. The supramolecular polymers form a reversibly deformable and water-draining skeleton that mechanically reinforces the hybrid and can also be aligned by printing methods. The noncovalent skeleton embedded in the network thus enables faster bending and flattening actuation of objects, as well as longer steps during the light-driven crawling motion of macroscopic films. Our work suggests that hybrid bonding polymers, which integrate supramolecular assemblies and covalent networks, offer strategies for the bottom-up design of soft matter that mimics living organisms.",

author = "Chuang Li and Aysenur Iscen and Hiroaki Sai and Kohei Sato and Sather, {Nicholas A.} and Chin, {Stacey M.} and Zaida {\'A}lvarez and Palmer, {Liam C.} and Schatz, {George C.} and Stupp, {Samuel I.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science (CBES), an Energy Frontiers Research Center (EFRC) funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under award number DE-SC0000989. Z.A. received postdoctoral support from the Beatriu de Pin{\'o}s Fellowship 2014 BP‐A 00007 (Ag{\`e}ncia de Gesti{\'o} d'Ajust Universitaris i de Recerca, AGAUR) and a Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) (grant no. PVA17_RF_0008). This work made use of the Peptide Synthesis Core Facility (peptide synthesis) of the Simpson Querrey Institute at Northwestern University. This facility has current support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS–1542205). The Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University Office for Research, US Army Research Office, and the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command also provided funding to develop this facility. This work also made use of the EPIC and BioCryo facilities as well as the CryoCluster equipment of Northwestern University{\textquoteright}s NUANCE Center, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205); the MRSEC Program (NSF DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center; the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); the Keck Foundation; and the State of Illinois, through the IIN and the MRI program (NSF DMR-1229693). This work also made use of the MatCI Facility, which receives support from the MRSEC Program (NSF DMR-1720139) of the Materials Research Center at Northwestern University. This work also made use of the IMSERC at Northwestern University, which has received support from the NIH (1S10OD012016-01/1S10RR019071-01A1), Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), the State of Illinois, and the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN). This work also made use of Keck Biophysics Facility at Northwestern University. X-ray experiments were performed at the DuPont–Northwestern–Dow Collaborative Access Team (DND-CAT) located at Sector 5 of the Advanced Photon Source (APS). DND-CAT is supported by Northwestern University, The Dow Chemical Company, and DuPont de Nemours, Inc. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under contract no. DE-AC02-06CH11357. X-ray scattering data was collected using an instrument funded by the National Science Foundation under Award Number 0960140. We thank Z. Yu for helpful discussion and R. Qiu for 1H nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy NMR analysis. We thank M. Seniw for providing schematic illustrations. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

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T1 - Supramolecular–covalent hybrid polymers for light-activated mechanical actuation

AU - Li, Chuang

AU - Iscen, Aysenur

AU - Sai, Hiroaki

AU - Sato, Kohei

AU - Sather, Nicholas A.

AU - Chin, Stacey M.

AU - Álvarez, Zaida

AU - Palmer, Liam C.

AU - Schatz, George C.

AU - Stupp, Samuel I.

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N2 - The development of synthetic structures that mimic mechanical actuation in living matter such as autonomous translation and shape changes remains a grand challenge for materials science. In living systems the integration of supramolecular structures and covalent polymers contributes to the responsive behaviour of membranes, muscles and tendons, among others. Here we describe hybrid light-responsive soft materials composed of peptide amphiphile supramolecular polymers chemically bonded to spiropyran-based networks that expel water in response to visible light. The supramolecular polymers form a reversibly deformable and water-draining skeleton that mechanically reinforces the hybrid and can also be aligned by printing methods. The noncovalent skeleton embedded in the network thus enables faster bending and flattening actuation of objects, as well as longer steps during the light-driven crawling motion of macroscopic films. Our work suggests that hybrid bonding polymers, which integrate supramolecular assemblies and covalent networks, offer strategies for the bottom-up design of soft matter that mimics living organisms.

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Supramolecular–covalent hybrid polymers for light-activated mechanical actuation

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