Palygorskite (Pal) is a layered-chain clay mineral characterized by unique one-dimensional nanorod crystals, regular nanochannels and abundant surface active groups. Since the discovery of Pal’s presence in China in 1976, Chinese scientists have resolved the key bottleneck of efficient the disaggregation of the rod crystal bundles restricting its high-value utilization and achieved a fundamental transformation of Pal from a traditional raw mineral material to an advanced functional nanomaterial. The applications of Pal in China have expanded into diverse fields, including energy materials, antibacterial agents, catalysts, tissue engineering scaffolds, hydrogen storage materials, membrane separation materials, functional coatings and pigments, among others. In the case of naturally abundant mixed-dimensional Pal clays with complex mineral compositions, full-mineral synchronous utilization technology has been developed for the fabrication of functional materials based on the differences and complementarities in the structures and properties of the coexisting minerals. This article reviews the significant progress made by Chinese researchers in transforming nanostructured Pal into advanced functional materials, highlighting representative cases in green preparation and sustainable applications. Finally, future key research directions are proposed to promote the efficient and sustainable utilization of Pal resources, aligning with the disciplinary frontier of mineral materialization.

Pursuing highly efficient aerodynamic efficiency in aircraft has driven the development of morphing wing technology. However, there are still limitations to morphing wing technology, including adaptation of load and deformation, and deformation monitoring and control. This work introduces an intelligent trailing edge structure that balances deformation and load-bearing and achieves deformation monitoring and active control. Firstly, we employ a honeycomb structure for non-uniform filling of the trailing edge. The filling method is obtained through inverse design using a genetic algorithm based on neural networks, allowing the device to undergo continuous deformation while meeting load-bearing requirements. The bending deformation of the wing is achieved using shape memory alloy (SMA) wire. Additionally, we design and fabricate a metal-based multichannel flexible sensor, and based on beam bending theory, we establish the strain–displacement relationship. These sensors are affixed to the trailing edge surface, enabling real-time monitoring and active control of trailing edge deformation. Building an experimental platform to test this system, the results show that the sensors can accurately give feedback on the degree of wing deformation, and the error of active deformation control technology is less than 4%. This provides a new method for the deformation feedback control closed-loop system of intelligent variant wings.

Shape-memory polymers can be used to develop thermoresponsive programmable materials that can take on sensory and actuator tasks as their ambient temperature changes. In this contribution, a self-synthesised poly(1,10-decylene adipate) diol-based polyester urethane (PEU) was used for their fabrication. After processing the PEU into filaments, programmable materials, including a gear-like object, the teeth of a ‘bevel gear’ and a unit cell, were additively manufactured by fused filament fabrication. In any case, a thermomechanical treatment was conducted that involved the deformation of the polymer at 75°C. After cooling to 15°C, the programmable materials were unloaded and the thermoresponsiveness between 23°C and 58°C was investigated. A maximum thermoreversible change in height of about 39% was detected for the ‘gear’. With regard to the ‘bevel gear’, proof of feasibility was provided for use as overheating protection, so that a force transmission could be switched off when heated and switched on when cooled down. The unit cell actuated under a weak external load of 0.01 N, thus exhibiting thermoreversible length changes of about 45%.

Herein, a new method to synthesise epoxide-based sequence-controlled polymers via anionic ring-opening monomer addition, a form of anionic ring-opening polymerisation, is presented. This technique allows in combination with post-polymerisation modification (PPM) reactions for the successful preparation of modified mPEG-b-oligo(allyl glycidyl ether) featuring the incorporation of one repeating unit on average at a time. Due to the possible introduction of a vast variety of molecules to the polymeric system via PPM reactions, a multitude of advanced functional polymeric materials can be generated. This, in combination with the chain extension reactions, allows for the synthesis of well-controlled and programmable architectures with particular properties. The structure of the sequence-controlled polymer was confirmed via 1H NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry.