Reciprocating Power Generation in a Chemically Driven Synthetic Muscle

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 73 - 77
• Main Authors: Howse, Jonathan R, Topham, Paul, Crook, Colin J, Gleeson, Anthony J, Bras, Wim, Jones, Richard A. L, Ryan, Anthony J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.01.2006
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Elasticity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Muscles; Nanostructures; Polymethacrylic Acids - chemistry; Striated muscle. Tendons; Vertebrates: osteoarticular system, musculoskeletal system; Self assembly; Deformation; Motility; Nanostructure; Experimental study; Polyelectrolyte; Oscillator; Morphology; Muscle; Chemical synthesis; Block copolymer; Organic compounds; Conformation
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl0520617

A scalable synthetic muscle has been constructed that transducts nanoscale molecular shape changes into macroscopic motion. The working material, which deforms affinely in response to a pH stimulus, is a self-assembled block copolymer comprising nanoscopic hydrophobic domains in a weak polyacid matrix. A device has been assembled where the muscle does work on a cantilever and the force generated has been measured. When coupled to a chemical oscillator this provides a free running chemical motor that generates a peak power of 20 mW kg-1 by the serial addition of 10 nm shape changes that scales over 5 orders of magnitude. It is the nanostructured nature of the gel that gives rise to the affine deformation and results in a robust working material for the construction of scalable muscle devices.