The authors designed a novel self-healing and magnetic actuating fibre, termed SHINE fibre, for use in soft robotics, displays, and wearable electronics. The fibre consists of a nickel (Ni) electrode core, an electrolyte (EL) dielectric interlayer, and a transparent hydrogel electrode cladding. The SHINE fibre exhibits omnidirectional actuation and electro-luminescence capabilities, with a record luminance of 1068 ± 8.5 cd/m².
The fibre is fabricated using coaxial wet-spinning and ion-induced gelation processes. The Ni electrode core and EL dielectric interlayer are composed of PVDF-HFP composites with fluorosurfactant Zonyl FS-300, which introduces dipole-dipole interactions and improves self-healing properties. The transparent hydrogel electrode cladding is made of a SA-C/LiCl/Gly network, which allows for high ionic conductivity and transparency.
The fibre exhibits robustness and self-healing properties, recovering 98.6% of its pristine luminance after being severed and healing at 50°C for 3h. The fibre also displays magnetic actuation capabilities, with a maximum magnetization of 14.7 Am²/kg, allowing it to be used for applications such as light-emitting soft robotics and human-robot interactions.
In addition, the fibre is capable of capacitive proximity sensing and can be wirelessly powered using inductive coupling at 13.56 MHz. The fibre’s compact coaxial configuration and ion-induced gelation fabrication method enable it to be flexible and robust, making it suitable for use in soft robots and other applications.
Overall, the SHINE fibre is a novel and versatile material with potential applications in soft robotics, displays, and wearable electronics. Its self-healing and magnetic actuation capabilities make it an attractive solution for developing interactive devices that can recover from damage and operate in a range of environments.