Fig. 4: Complex hydrogel shape morphing can be programmed by using bilayer hinges.
From: Engineering shape memory and morphing protein hydrogels based on protein unfolding and folding
a Arcs of different radii realized by soaking (GB1)8/DC-(FL)8 bilayer hydrogel in buffers at different [GdmCl]. b The folding deformation of a strip hydrogel patterned with a 3 mm (GB1)8/DC-(FL)8 bilayer hinge and two (GB1)8 units. c The linear relationship between the strip folding angle and the width of (GB1)8/DC-(FL)8 hinge, which allows for precise programming of hydrogel folding deformation. This relationship was measured based on hydrogel strips with the following dimensions: length 12 mm, width 3 mm. d Recoverable 1D to 2D transformations of bilayer hinge patterned hydrogel strips to realize a triangle, a rectangle, and a rhombus shape. All the hydrogel strips are 12 mm in length and 3 mm in width. e 3D transformation to a cubic architecture from a (GB1)8/DC-(FL)8 bilayer hinge patterned 2D sheet.
