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.

Efficiently treating wastewater contaminated with carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) has been a persistent challenge in both academic and industrial research. While ion exchange is recognised for its simplicity and effectiveness, its integration with advanced nanomaterials offers enhanced potential. The cationic porous organic polymer (POP) PTPA–PIP is a novel development poised to aid in industrial wastewater treatment.

PTPA–PIP is synthesised by converting the aromatic polyamine PTPA into its protonated form. This modification significantly increases the polymer’s hydrophilicity, enabling it to disperse uniformly in aqueous environments, which is essential for efficient water treatment applications. PTPA–PIP demonstrates the following:

High exchange capacity: PTPA–PIP exhibits a maximum adsorption capacity of 230 mg Cr₂O₇^2– per gram of polymer.

Rapid adsorption kinetics: It achieves an initial adsorption rate of 83 mg g^–1 min^–1, indicating ultrafast removal of contaminants.

Exceptional Selectivity: The polymer retains approximately 90% of its adsorption capacity even in the presence of a 40-fold concentration of competing anions.

Robust reusability: PTPA–PIP can be reused for at least five cycles without significant loss of performance.

This publication documents a substantial advancement in the field of wastewater treatment with porous polymers, offering a highly effective solution for addressing the challenges associated with Cr(VI) contamination.

The article can be found at the following link.

Congratulations to Maxi on having his first first-authored paper “High-Performance Dopamine-Based Supramolecular Bio-Adhesives” accepted in Macromolecular Rapid Communications!

Sutures are invasive and prone to infection, but a new class of supramolecular-based adhesives offers a better solution. In this study, dopamine-based polymers were synthesized, resulting in highly effective, non-cytotoxic adhesives with mechanical strength superior to commercial bio-adhesives like BioGlue and Tisseel. These adhesives can re-adhere, perform well in aqueous environments, and be safely removed with ethanol, demonstrating significant potential for surgical use.

Open access review article from Marcos and co-authors now available in Soft Science.

This review comprehensively examines topics on the interface of soft robotics and chemistry including the utilisation of chemical power sources, oscillating systems, and chemically driven pneumatic actuation.

Link here.