Self-assembly of micro/nanosystems across scales and interfaces

Mastrangeli, Massimo

doi:10.1109/transducers.2017.7994139

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The dimensions of microrobots make them suitable candidates for autonomous self-organization via self-assembly, that is, iterative spontaneous minimization of the system free energy. The arrangement of the self-assembled structure is defined by the properties of the units such as their shape, [31][32][33][34] and material anisotropy, [35] as well as properties of the entire system, for example, experimental area size and shape, temperature, or presence of electromagnetic fields. [34,36] Tailoring these variables to achieve the desired structure may be viewed as a viable alternative to in silico programming of macroscopic swarming robots, [33,[37][38][39][40][41] or active self-organization of mobile microrobots.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogel Microrobots Self‐Assembled into Ordered Structures with Programmable Actuation

Kropacek

Maslen

Dijk

et al. 2023

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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Sub‐millimeter robots—microrobots—that can autonomously perform mechanical work at the microscale would radically change new areas of human activity such as micromanipulation, microfabrication, or healthcare. Sets of identical microrobots that can connect into different, larger structures open the possibility for a “universal” microrobotic unit that fulfills a large variety of functions derived from the structure that multiple units can be assembled into. The capability of individual hydrogel microcrawlers to self‐assemble under confinement into periodically ordered planar structures is demonstrated. Subsequently, these can be bound together using light to form a solid porous sheet. The lateral shape of the sheet is imprinted during the binding process. Furthermore, the sheets bend into 3D structures, where the bending direction can be programmed. The resulting structures actuate anisotropically when exposed to heat or laser illumination and can be designed for various modes of operation, such as manipulation or untethered locomotion. The formation of ordered microstructures from individual mobile robots enables easier transport and remote assembly of these structures at the place of interest without the need for direct intervention.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogel Microrobots Self‐Assembled into Ordered Structures with Programmable Actuation

Kropacek

Maslen

Dijk

et al. 2023

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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3D Self‐Assembled Microelectronic Devices: Concepts, Materials, Applications

et al. 2019

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www.advmat.de www.advancedsciencenews.com photolithography techniques. New amorphous semiconducting materials are involved in the development of flexible electronics based on high-performance compounds that include organic [82] and inorganic (e.g., copper oxide [83] or indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) [84] ) semiconductor possessing, for instance, the transparency [85] required in optoelectronic applications. Once fabricated on polymeric ultrathin substrates, these devices offer the flexibility, stretchability, and imperceptibility [85][86][87] for onskin (Figure 3 a,b,d) biomedical applications, such as biosensors capable of conformally wrapping a soft or irregularly shaped 3D biological sample such as a cancer cell or a pollen grain. [88] Demonstrating outstanding mechanical stability, thin-film materials, in particular semiconductors, are superior candidates for 3D applications compared to monocrystalline semiconductors. [87,89,90] Good examples are amorphous oxides and some organic molecular semiconductors [82] (Figure 3b-d) which are particularly attractive for 3D self-assembled microelectronics. By employing substrates with a thickness in the micro-and submicrometer range (Figure 3) many issues associated with mechanical stress on the surface could be mitigated, demonstrating the increased robustness and reliability of thinfilm electronics. [87,89] Electronic skin (e-skin) (Figure 3a,b,d), for Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 1902994 Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 1902994 Figure 3. Thin-film flexible electronic devices and applications. a) Mechanical prosthesis with stretchable electronic skin. Adapted with permission. [97] Copyright 2014, Springer Nature. b) Schematics and photograph of imperceptible organic electronics equipped with tactile active sensor matrix. Adapted with permission. [87] Copyright 2013, Springer Nature. c) Complex circuits with 8-bit microprocessors made of 3381 organic thin-film transistors. Adapted with permission. [98] Copyright 2012, IEEE. d) Ultrathin substrate combined with high-performance indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) circuitry paving the way for active medical devices on contact lenses. [85] Adapted with permission. [85] Copyright 2014, Springer Nature.

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