Multi-Stimuli Responsive Soft Matter for Autonomous Actuation and Logic Operations

In the development of intelligent systems, creating materials that can respond dynamically to environmental stimuli is paramount. This talk will present recent advancements in the design of multi-stimuli responsive materials that are capable of complex actuation and shape-morphing, paving the way for applications in robotics, biomedical technologies, and environmental sensing. The first part of my talk will review single-stimuli responsive soft matter, designed to self-morph and self-propel in response to thermal stimuli, enabling autonomous shape transformation without external power sources. The second part will describe new nanocellulose-based hydrogels that exhibit programmable logic behavior. These hydrogels combine poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) with nanocellulose reinforcements to achieve tunable responses to temperature, pH, and ion concentration. Using 4D printing techniques, bilayer actuators capable of executing Boolean logic gates such as AND, OR, and NOT are demonstrated, opening new possibilities for adaptive robotic skins and medical devices.