Homogeneous Chitosan/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Hydrogel-Based Actuator Driven by Efficient Photothermally Induced Water Gradients
Jiazhi Duan, Feng Liu, Ying Kong, Min Hao, Jianlong He, Jianjun Wang, Shuhua Wang, Hong Liu, Yuanhua Sang
Abstract
Various kinds of photoresponsive hydrogels have been developed for years; however, the complex synthesis method and high cost limit their broad application. In the current work, a facile strategy for the light-stimuli actuator was proposed based on a homogeneous chitosan (CS)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite hydrogel. Controllable actuation of the CS/GO hydrogel film has been realized as a result of the water gratitude induced by the near-IR (NIR)-light illumination. The contraction and swelling behavior of the hydrogel actuator were completely reversible, which endowed the actuator with repetitive application. Moreover, the NIR-light-induced actuation speed could be adjusted by varying the GO content in the CS/GO hydrogel. The homogeneous structure enabled the hydrogel actuator to more easily realize mass production at low cost. The demo applications of the CS/GO hydrogel actuator as a remote-control device and smart curtain were achieved under both NIR light and sunlight, which confirm the extensive application potential of this material.