{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T16:46:30Z","timestamp":1784738790376,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"32","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750204800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["11972011"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["11972011"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003453","name":"Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2023A1515012049"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023A1515012049"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003453","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Small"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Biological systems achieve multifunctionality through dynamic stiffness modulation, yet replicating this adaptability in synthetic actuators remains challenging. Paradigm\u2010shifting thermally triggered shape\u2010memory polymers (SMPs) are reported that defies conventional thermal softening behavior. By designing amphiphilic triblock copolymers with various block chain lengths, water\u2010induced microphase separation is exploited to achieve anomalous enhancement in stiffness\u2014specially, a remarkable 170\u2010fold modulus increase in aqueous environments at 25\u00a0\u00b0C, along with a sustained 1.8\u2010fold amplification even at 80\u00a0\u00b0C. This counterintuitive thermal stiffening behavior of SMPs facilitates the design of soft actuators capable of simultaneous shape recovery and stiffening during actuation, resulting in soft actuators with high actuation multifunctionality. The system demonstrates exceptional actuation stress (650\u00a0kPa), rapid response (&lt;4 s), and work capacity (35.2\u00a0kJ\u00a0m\n                    <jats:sup>\u2212<\/jats:sup>\n                    <jats:sup>3<\/jats:sup>\n                    ). This thermally triggered SMPs with tunable stiffness may expand the application range of soft actuators in extreme environments, such as object manipulation in hot springs and deep\u2010sea hydrothermal vents.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/smll.202504829","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T12:06:11Z","timestamp":1750248371000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Unconventional Stiffening Behavior of Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymers in Aqueous Environments for Thermally Activated Artificial Muscles"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Zhenhua","family":"Xiao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Emergent Soft Matter South China University of Technology  Guangzhou 510640 China"},{"name":"Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional 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