Overcoming Water Diffusion Limitations in Hydrogels via Microtubular Graphene Networks for Soft Actuators (Adv. Mater. 41/2023)

Hydrogel Soft Actuators Hydrogel-based soft actuators can operate in sensitive environments, bridging the gap between rigid machines interacting with soft matter. In article number 2302816, Rainer Adelung, Fabian Schütt, and co-workers demonstrate that the incorporation of a bioinspired microtube graphene network into a PNIPAM matrix dramatically enhances actuation performance, thereby overcoming water-transport limitations in hydrogel soft actuators while providing options for both light- and electrically-controlled actuation.