Prof. Dr. Ir. Joost Brancart holds a 10% assistant professor position at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Foundation Flanders. He is affiliated to the Physical Chemistry and Polymer Science research group that focuses on the unravelling the structure-property relations of polymeric materials. He exploits these relations to design smart, functional materials for challenging applications. He specializes in reversible network polymerization that can be used to create stimuli-responsive materials and to improve the overall sustainability of polymer networks. His research topics include thermally and photochemically reversible polymer networks, additive manufacturing, evaluation and validation of new material technologies in applications such as soft robotics, flexible electronics and other applications. This research led to the co-application and co-coordination of 3 EU-funded projects. Currently, he is leading a subgroup of over 15 PhD material scientists and mechanical engineers working on topics related to self-healing soft robotics.
Title : “Recent developments in self-healing functional materials for soft robotic applications“
Abstract:
Advances in soft robotics research and applications have increased the need for material functionalities and the understanding and modelling thereof. Smart, stimuli-responsive materials try to meet these increasing requirements. Self-healing is one such feature that has gained much traction in soft robotics research to recover lost material properties and robotic performance after damage events. It can drastically increase the lifetime of robotic systems and thus increase their durability and sustainability.
The thermally reversible Diels-Alder chemistry has attracted a lot of research attention to create reversible polymer networks to create self-healing materials, since the reversible covalent bonds can be broken mechanically and reform either autonomously (soft elastomers) or upon thermal activation (stiff elastomers and thermosets). Advances in soft robotics and other challenging applications require smarter materials with increased embodied physical intelligence and functional features. Stimuli-responsive materials change their properties with respect to applied stimuli. Stimuli such as heat, light, electrical or magnetic fields can be used change the material’s chemical structure, conformation or configuration. Moreover, external stimuli such as mechanical force, magnetic fields, temperature or humidity changes acting on a material can result in a measurable change in electrical conductivity, capacitive behaviour and other that enable sensors to evaluate these interactions with the environment.