A Mechanically Actuating Carbon-Nanotube Fiber in Response to Water and Moisture

Sisi He; Peining Chen; Longbin Qiu; Bingjie Wang; Xuemei Sun; Yifan Xu; Huisheng Peng

doi:10.1002/anie.201507108

A Mechanically Actuating Carbon-Nanotube Fiber in Response to Water and Moisture

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2015 Dec 1;54(49):14880-4. doi: 10.1002/anie.201507108. Epub 2015 Oct 13.

Authors

Sisi He¹, Peining Chen¹, Longbin Qiu¹, Bingjie Wang¹, Xuemei Sun¹, Yifan Xu¹, Huisheng Peng²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Collaborative Innovation Center of Polymers and Polymer Composite Materials, Department of Macromolecular Science and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438 (China).
² State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Collaborative Innovation Center of Polymers and Polymer Composite Materials, Department of Macromolecular Science and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438 (China). penghs@fudan.edu.cn.

PMID: 26460095
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201507108

Abstract

A new family of hierarchically helical carbon-nanotube fibers with many nano- and micro-scale channels has been synthesized. They demonstrate remarkable mechanical actuations in response to water and moisture. The water or moisture is first rapidly transported through the trunk micron-scale channels and then efficiently infiltrates into the interconnected capillary nanoscale channels, similar to the blood flow in our body. Therefore, rapid and large contraction and rotation of the fiber occurs with a high reversibility. These mechanically actuating fibers are promising for various applications, and smart windows and louvers have been investigated as two demonstrations.

Keywords: actuating; carbon nanotubes; fiber; hierarchical channels; water sensors.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't