Biopolymer-Based Electroconductive Hydrogels for Soft Robotic Systems

Soft robotics defined as the integration of state-of-the-art engineering and flexibility of nature has emerged as a promising field with applications ranging from healthcare to industry. They can negotiate complex situations with precision owing to their extraordinary capacity to bend and stretch in contrast to traditional-rigid robotics. Since usage of materials with compliance similar to that of soft biological matter is the most crucial parameter to the construction of soft robotics, electroconductive hydrogels (ECHs), a class of materials with their hydrophilic, conductive and biocompatible characteristics, have gained significant attention for their potential to revolutionize soft robotic systems.<br/>The unique combination of mechanical compliance, biocompatibility, and electrical conductivity in hydrogels offers numerous advantages for soft robotic design. These materials exhibit tunable mechanical properties, allowing for the precise control over stiffness and elasticity, which are crucial for mimicking natural movement and interactions. Furthermore, ECHs offer opportunities for advanced functionalities such as stimuli-responsive behavior and self-healing capabilities. Owing to these properties, researchers can design robots that adapt to changing environmental conditions or external stimuli.<br/>ECHs can be produced by either using conductive particles or intrinsically conductive polymers. However, in recent years, the combined strategy involving the incorporation of conductive particles into conjugated conducting polymer matrices is commonly preferred as an effective alternative to endow adjustable and improved properties to hydrogels for the proposed applications. Considering these, it is proposed to the development of novel biopolymer-based ECHs by using an integrated conductivity mechanism including both silver nanoparticles and polyaniline for the soft robotic applications in the current study. Further research and development in this study are expected to drive continued advancements in soft robotics, leading to the transformative applications including sensors, delivery of therapeutics, organ-on-a-chip platforms, biomedical implants and beyond.