Nanomagnetic Elastomers for Realizing Highly Responsive Micro- and Nanosystems

Evolution has produced natural systems that generatemotion andsense external stimuli at the micro- and nanoscales. At extremelysmall scales, the intricate motions and large deformations shown bythese biosystems are due to a tipping balance between their structuralcompliance and the actuating force generated in them. Artificiallymimicking such ingenious systems for scientific and engineering applicationshas been approached through the development and use of different smartmaterials mostly limited to microscale dimensions. To push the applicationrange down to the nanoscale, we developed a material preparationprocess that yields a library of nanomagnetic elastomers with highmagnetic particle concentrations. Through this process, we have realizeda material with the highest magnetic-to-elastic force ratio, as isshown by an extensive mechanical and magnetic characterization ofthe materials. Furthermore, we have fabricated and actuated micro-and nanostructures mimicking cilia, demonstrating the extreme complianceand responsiveness of the developed materials.