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Coupled magneto-mechanical growth in hyperelastic materials: Surface patterns modulation and shape control in bio-inspired structures

Li, Zhanfeng; Wang, Yafei; Wang, Zuodong; Kadapa, Chennakesava; Hossain, Mokarram; Yao, Xiaohu; Wang, Jiong

Authors

Zhanfeng Li

Yafei Wang

Zuodong Wang

Mokarram Hossain

Xiaohu Yao

Jiong Wang



Abstract

Magneto-mechanical coupling in the growth of soft materials presents challenges due to the complex interactions between magnetic fields, mechanical forces, and growth-induced deformations. While growth modeling has been extensively studied, integrating magnetic stimuli into growth processes remains underexplored. In this work, we develop a 3D governing system for capturing the coupled magneto-mechanical growth behaviors of soft materials. Based on the governing system, we propose a finite element framework, where the robustness and accuracy of the proposed framework are demonstrated through numerical simulations, including the uniaxial loading of a circular tube, a mesh convergence study, and surface pattern evolution. We also conduct experiments on surface pattern modulation in magneto-active soft materials. Specifically, we fabricate film–substrate samples and apply growth-induced instabilities combined with external magnetic fields to generate tunable surface patterns. To demonstrate the capabilities of our method, we apply our numerical framework to mimic the biological morphogenesis, such as the inversion process of the algal genus Volvox. Our study shows that integrating magneto-mechanical coupling with growth effects allows for flexible control over surface patterns, significantly enhancing the adaptability and responsiveness of soft materials. This work paves the way for innovative designs of adaptive and programmable soft materials, with potential applications in soft robotics, biomimetic structures, and tissue engineering.

Citation

Li, Z., Wang, Y., Wang, Z., Kadapa, C., Hossain, M., Yao, X., & Wang, J. (2025). Coupled magneto-mechanical growth in hyperelastic materials: Surface patterns modulation and shape control in bio-inspired structures. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 200, Article 106089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2025.106089

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 20, 2025
Online Publication Date Mar 3, 2025
Publication Date 2025-07
Deposit Date Mar 3, 2025
Publicly Available Date Mar 4, 2027
Journal Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids
Print ISSN 0022-5096
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 200
Article Number 106089
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2025.106089
Keywords Magneto-elasticity, Differential growth, Finite element analysis, Surface pattern evolution, Shape control
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/4164514