Directed self-assembly in “breath figure” templating of block copolymers followed by soft hydrolysis-condensation: One step towards synthetic bio-inspired silica diatoms exoskeleton

Advancements in materials, manufacturing, propulsion and localization: propelling soft robotics for medical applications

Soft robotics is an emerging field showing immense potential for biomedical applications. This review summarizes recent advancements in soft robotics for in vitro and in vivo medical contexts. Their inherent flexibility, adaptability, and biocompatibility enable diverse capabilities from surgical assistance to minimally invasive diagnosis and therapy. Intelligent stimuli-responsive materials and bioinspired designs are enhancing functionality while improving biocompatibility. Additive manufacturing techniques facilitate rapid prototyping and customization. Untethered chemical, biological, and wireless propulsion methods are overcoming previous constraints to access new sites. Meanwhile, advances in tracking modalities like computed tomography, fluorescence and ultrasound imaging enable precision localization and control enable in vivo applications. While still maturing, soft robotics promises more intelligent, less invasive technologies to improve patient care. Continuing research into biocompatibility, power supplies, biomimetics, and seamless localization will help translate soft robots into widespread clinical practice.

Bio-Inspired Silica Films Combining Block Copolymers Self-Assembly and Soft Chemistry: Paving the Way toward Artificial Exosqueleton of Seawater Diatoms

This review is in line with the principles of bio-inspiration and biomimicry in order to envisage a softer and more environmentally friendly chemistry. Here, the source of inspiration is a microalga from the oceans with the ability to build an exoskeleton of silica under ambient conditions. Following this model, this review is interested in different ways of creating porous silica films with a hierarchical porosity similar to diatoms. For this purpose, polymeric/hybrid/inorganic films structured in honeycomb using the breath figure method are reported. This versatile and easy to implement method based on the principle of rapid evaporation of a solvent in a humid atmosphere is widely used in the formation of structured films with micron-sized pores. In addition to this, the self-assembly of copolymer at the nanoscale can be addressed to obtain a hierarchically structured film. Following this structuration step, the degradation of a sacrificial block is then described from the most energy-intensive to soft process, allowing an added nanoporosity to the micron porosity of the BF method. Finally, hierarchical porous silica films are described using the sol-gel process, which is known as a soft chemistry process.