­Soft robotics is a growing field of study encompassing biology, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. Soft robots can be used for safe and adaptive interaction with humans and harsh environments, manipulation of delicate objects, navigation through a confined space, and actuation with multiple degrees of freedom. One key element in soft...

Background Multifunctional coatings are typically made from nanoparticles of magnesium oxide (MgO) that have the ability to carbonate and serve as a permanent carbon-storage medium. The inorganic phase, consisting of MgO particles, is combined with an organic blend comprising an amine-terminated polymer. This organic component facilitates the capture...

Background Additive manufacturing has contributed to the growth of technology to fabricate structures that have enhanced performance in a wide range of applications. One example family of these structures is cellular, or meta-materials, which include honeycombs, foams, and lattices. These materials enable novel properties that exploit the nature of...

Piezoelectric materials can convert mechanical energy to electricity or vice versa and have enabled diverse applications such as energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. A wide variety of inorganic ceramics and organic polymers have been considered as piezoelectric materials. However, neither the piezoelectric ceramics nor the piezoelectric polymers...

A variety of rigid exoskeletons have been developed for improving mobility over the decades. High forces and torques provided by those rigid exoskeletons assist the ankle, hip and/or knee, facilitating activities such as walking or lifting heavy objects. However, due to the complexity of the human musculoskeletal system, adjusting and aligning human...

Background Photopolymers are generated from a mixture of photoreactive liquid monomers or oligomers that can solidify upon irradiation of light. These materials exhibit fast reaction kinetics, solvent-free processes, and tunable material properties, which make them attractive for industrial applications. Photopolymers used in industrial applications...

­Background Bitumen, also known as asphalt, is a mixture of hydrocarbons and is used in roads, runways, bridge decks, roofs, and in other waterproofing materials. In the construction industry, recycling asphalt pavement has both economic and environmental benefits. Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), which is typically prepared from old roads, can...

­Algae growth commonly occurs on materials, such as building materials, and can lead to staining of the material and a decrease in the material’s durability. This can be a particular problem in areas with warm, wet climates. In a specific scenario, algae growth on roof shingles results in visible black stains affecting roof aesthetics and...

­Background Tape springs (or tape measures) exhibit nonlinear stiffness and asymmetric behavior when bent in one direction compared to the opposite direction. This behavior can be utilized, tuned and actively reconfigured to achieve locomotion on land and in fluids. Even in the presence of symmetric flapping, a swimming gait similar to “breaststroke”...

­Background The melting point (Tm) is an important parameter that dictates the physical properties and applications of semicrystalline thermoplastics. Conventional melting transition characterization techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry, ellipsometry, optical microscopy, and X-ray based methods measure Tm by monitoring temperature-dependent...