Recent advances in soft functional materials: preparation, functions and applications

Synthetic materials and biomaterials with elastic moduli lower than 10 MPa are generally considered as soft materials. Research studies on soft materials have been boosted due to their intriguing features such as light-weight, low modulus, stretchability, and a diverse range of functions including s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNanoscale Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 1281 - 136
Main Authors Li, Jun, Wong, Wai-Yeung, Tao, Xiao-ming
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Royal Society of Chemistry 23.01.2020
Subjects
Biomedical materials
Elastomers
Electrical properties
Electronic devices
Functional materials
Gels
Materials science
Modulus of elasticity
Organic chemistry
Product design
Smart materials
Stretchability
Textiles
Weight reduction
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Summary:Synthetic materials and biomaterials with elastic moduli lower than 10 MPa are generally considered as soft materials. Research studies on soft materials have been boosted due to their intriguing features such as light-weight, low modulus, stretchability, and a diverse range of functions including sensing, actuating, insulating and transporting. They are ideal materials for applications in smart textiles, flexible devices and wearable electronics. On the other hand, benefiting from the advances in materials science and chemistry, novel soft materials with tailored properties and functions could be prepared to fulfil the specific requirements. In this review, the current progress of soft materials, ranging from materials design, preparation and application are critically summarized based on three categories, namely gels, foams and elastomers. The chemical, physical and electrical properties and the applications are elaborated. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of soft materials to researchers in different disciplines. This review discusses the recent progress of three kinds of soft materials, namely gels, foams and elastomers, with emphasis on materials, properties and applications in flexible sensors, soft actuators, energy convention and storage.
Bibliography:Jun Li received his B.S. degree from Sun Yat-Sen University (Guangzhou, China) and M.Phil. degree in chemistry from Hong Kong Baptist University. He is now a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the guidance of Prof. X.M. Tao. His research mainly focuses on textile-based flexible smart devices and electronics.
Wai-Yeung Wong obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Hong Kong. After works at Texas A&M University, the University of Cambridge and Hong Kong Baptist University, he now works at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as Chair Professor of Chemical Technology and Associate Dean of Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles. He was awarded the RSC Chemistry of Transition Metals Award, FACS Distinguished Young Chemist Award and State Natural Science Award from China. His research focuses on synthetic inorganic/organometallic chemistry, especially metal-organic molecules and polymers for organic optoelectronics and metal-based nanomaterials.
Xiaoming Tao is Chair Professor and the founding director of the Research Centre for Smart Wearable Technology, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She has a BEng in textile engineering and PhD in textile physics. Prof. Tao is known internationally for her pioneering work on smart textiles and fiber-based electronics and photonics. She is a recipient of the Honorary Fellowship of the Textile Institute and the Founder's Award from the Fiber Society of USA, the highest individual award in the field of textiles and fiber sciences.
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ISSN:2040-3364
2040-3372
2040-3372
DOI:10.1039/c9nr07035d