Pleased to announce that Dr. Baker’s article, in collaboration with former MSci student Leo Kershaw and visiting student Ziqui Yang, titled “Towards Implantable Artificial Muscles: Epoxy-Based Bilayer Thermal Actuators with Ambient Activation Temperatures,” is now available in ChemistrySelect.

The development of soft, biocompatible actuators is vital for soft robotics, especially for in vivo applications. This study presents epoxy-based materials for creating thermal actuators with tuneable glass transition temperatures (T_gs). By adjusting polymer compositions, actuators operating at physiological temperatures (36–40 °C) were achieved using both external heating and joule-heated NiChrome-epoxy systems. These actuators maintain safe surface temperatures below 40 °C at low voltages (<2 V). This promising approach could lead to implantable actuators improving the quality of life for the ageing population.