Ellipsoid-shaped superparamagnetic nanoclusters through emulsion electrospinning.
Ellipsoid-shaped nanoclusters composed of single superparamagnetic nanoparticles can be generated by emulsion electrospinning. Stretching and subsequent solvent evaporation of iron oxide loaded emulsion droplets during the emulsion electrospinning process enables the creation of such structures embedded in polymer nanofibers. Dissolution of the polymer fibers yields an aqueous dispersion of the inorganic clusters which are the first example of ellipsoid-shaped superparamagnetic nanoclusters with a high saturation magnetization (∼47 emu g(-1)).
Bioinspired actuated adhesive patterns of liquid crystalline elastomers.
Gecko-inspired arrays of micropillars made of a liquid crystalline elastomer display thermoswitchable adhesive behavior as a consequence of elongation changes caused by reorientation of the mesogens at the nematic-isotropic (N-I) phase transition.