Hierarchically Arranged Helical Fiber Actuators Derived from Commercial Cloth

The first hygroscopically tunable cloth actuator is realized via impregnation of a commercial cloth template by a three dimensionally (3D) nanoporous polymer/carbon nanotube hybrid network. The nanoporous hybrid guarantees diffusion of water into the cloth actuator and amplifies the deformation scale. The cloth actuators are mechanically stable with high tensile strength. Because the commercial cotton cloth is inexpensive, such actuators capable of complex motions can be produced in a large size and scale for a wide variety of utilities (e.g. electric generators and “smart” materials). The first hygroscopic tunable cloth actuator is realized via modification of a commercial cloth template by a 3D nanoporous polymer hybrid. The nanoporous hybrid guarantees fast water diffusion and amplifies deformation. The cloth actuator achieves a large‐scale size production, tunable motion, high tensile strength, and mechanical flexibility with a breadth of utilities (e.g., electric generator and “smart” materials).