A butterfly’s first flight inspires a new way to produce force and electricity

SUTD researchers uncover the promising capability of chitin as a sustainable smart biomaterial. Through water exchange with the environment, humidity-responsive chitinous films can generate mechanical and electrical energy for potential use in engineering and biomedical applications. In their study, ‘Secondary reorientation and hygroscopic forces in chitinous biopolymers and their use in passive and biochemical actuation’ published in Advanced Materials Technologies, the research team shed light on the adaptability and molecular changes of chitinous materials in response to environmental changes. Read more: SUTD Authors: Balasubramanian Rukmanikrishnan, Kenneth J. Tracy, and Javier G. Fernandez *Made using Filmora and Soundstripe. Complementary images and videos of butterflies from Unsplash and Pixabay.