Soft active materials are largely employed to realize devices (actuators), where deformations and displacements are triggered by a wide range of external stimuli such as electric field, pH, temperature, and solvent absorption. The effectiveness of these actuators critically depends on the capability of achieving prescribed changes in their shape and size and on the rate of changes. In particular, in gel–based actuators, the shape of the structures can be related to the spatial distribution of the solvent inside the gel, to the magnitude and the rate of solvent uptake.
In the talk, I am going to discuss some results obtained by my group regarding surface patterns arising in the transient dynamics of swelling gels [1,2], based on the stress diffusion model we presented a few years ago [3]. I am also going to show our extended stress diffusion model suited for investigating swelling processes in fiber gels, and to discuss shape formation issues in presence of fiber gels [4-6].
[1] A. Lucantonio, M. Rochè, PN, H.A. Stone. Buckling dynamics of a solvent-stimulated stretched elastomeric sheet. Soft Matter 10, 2014.
[2] M. Curatolo, PN, E. Puntel, L. Teresi. Full computational analysis of transient surface patterns in swelling hydrogels. Submitted, 2017.
[3] A. Lucantonio, PN, L. Teresi. Transient analysis of swelling-induced large deformations in polymer gels. JMPS 61, 2013.
[4] PN, M. Pezzulla, L. Teresi. Anisotropic swelling of thin gel sheets. Soft Matter 11, 2015.
[5] PN, M. Pezzulla, L. Teresi. Steady and transient analysis of anisotropic swelling in fibered gels. JAP 118, 2015.
[6] PN, L. Teresi. Actuation performances of anisotropic gels. JAP 120, 2016.