Tseng, I.-Hsiang;Li, Jheng-Jia;Chang, Po-Ya published 《Mimosa Pudica Leaf-Like Rapid Movement and Actuation of Organosoluble Polyimide Blending with Sulfonated Polyaniline》 in 2017. The article was appeared in 《Advanced Materials Interfaces》. They have made some progress in their research.Electric Literature of C12H12N2O The article mentions the following:
Like the thigmonastic responses of the leaves of Mimosa pudica, the curling of organosol. and free-standing polyimide (PI) films under the stimuli of fingertip-touching or air-blowing is discovered for the first time. The authors discover that the PI films at the dry status can rapidly and reversibly attract and release water mols. at the interface of the thin film in response to the changes of environmental humidity. The moisture-triggered heterogeneous deformation across the film leads to self-curling of PI films. With the blending of suitable amounts of sulfonated-polyaniline (PANI-S) to the PI matrix, the resultant PANI-S/PI film can more effectively breath water from the air and simultaneously create more significant deformation and faster recovery. With the suitable designed patterns on the film, it can serve a highly sensitive and reliable actuator to grasp and release subjects as well as to fold into 3D structures, and to roll like a tank tread by providing trace moisture gradients. This robust PANI-S/PI film can be cast into any shape or coated on various substrates and thus is a promising material for smart delivery systems in industrial applications.3-(4-Aminophenoxy)aniline (cas: 2657-87-6) were involved in the experimental procedure.
3-(4-Aminophenoxy)aniline is one of ethers-buliding-blocks. Ethers lack the hydroxyl groups of alcohols. Without the strongly polarized O―H bond, ether molecules cannot engage in hydrogen bonding with each other. Electric Literature of C12H12N2OEthers do have nonbonding electron pairs on their oxygen atoms, however, and they can form hydrogen bonds with other molecules (alcohols, amines, etc.) that have O―H or N―H bonds.
Reference:
Ether – Wikipedia,
Ether | (C2H5)2O – PubChem