Polymeric nanofilms, self-assembled structures and 3D porous matrices: building blocks of future bio-hybrid actuators

This paper aims to demonstrate the possibility of exploiting poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) ultra-thin films, self-assembled elastomeric structures and 3D porous polyurethane scaffolds as key enabling technologies for bio-hybrid actuation. These efforts may contribute to a paradigmatic shift towards long-term working living cell-based systems, which would dramatically increase efficiency and flexibility of actuators, thus opening new avenues for future ICT devices, radically different from the present ones, able to exploit the scalability, stiffness control, high transduction efficiency, self-sensing and self-healing properties of natural muscles.