1. Design of nanostructured polymer electrolytes  

From the smart of Hamilton, the kinetic energy and potential energy determine the systems’ state (H = T + V). The kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy of celestial bodies determine the structure of galaxies; the electronic kinetic energy and Coulombic potential energy determine the structure of atom; the molecular kinetic energy and potential energy determine the microstructure of matter. Molecular kinetic energy, also known as thermal energy, is temperature dependent and can be evaluated by kT. Molecular potential energy contains various intermolecular interactions, such as van der Waals force, orientation interaction, hydrogen bonding, Coulombic interaction, and etc. Typically, the Coulombic energy between cations and anions in polymer electrolytes far exceeds thermal energy, which has a decisive impact on the structure of polymer electrolytes, and also affects the movement of ions. The dominant Coulombic interaction in polymer electrolytes can be dissipated by introducing other forces, as orientation interaction or hydrogen bonding, thereby achieving structural control of polymer electrolyte materials.

2. The structure-property relationship of polymer electrolytes

The structure-property relationship of polymer electrolytes is an important topic in material research. Understanding this relationship is key to develop new materials for application. The coexistence of ions and polymers in polymer electrolytes not only profoundly affect the multi-scale size of motivate units and relaxations, but also further shape the non-uniform and multi-scale microstructures. Regulating the microstructure of polymer electrolytes, establishing heterogeneous ion channels, and exploring how the connectivity, degree of order, interfacial properties, and size effects of ion channels affect the ion transportation are key to decouple the motion of ions and polymer segments.

3. Application of polymer electrolyte materials in soft robots

In soft matter, molecular kinetic energy and potential energy are equally important, so as the entropy and enthalpy. This creates the unique coexistence of solid and fluid characteristics in soft matter, gives soft mater the property of large response over small stimuli, and makes it an ideal material for soft robots. Soft robots require materials with high environment adaptability, fast response over stimulus, and strong loading force to dual with the complex working environments, such as narrow spaces or irregular surfaces, while reducing waiting intervals, improving efficiency, and maintaining the stability and reliability. In this section, we need to develop the smart polymer electrolytes to meet the requirements from application scenarios, and achieve the adaptive grasping, manipulation, and controlling of soft robots.