Nature has always been a source of inspiration for the development of novel materials and devices. In particular, polymer actuators that mimic the movements and functions of natural organisms have been of great interest due to their potential applications in various fields, such as biomedical engineering, soft robotics, and energy harvesting. During recent years, the development and actuation performance of electrospun fibrous meshes with the advantages of high permeability, surface area, and easy functional modification, has received extensive attention from researchers. This review covers the recent progress in the state-of-the-art electrospun actuators based on commonly used polymers such as stimuli-sensitive hydrogels, shape-memory polymers (SMPs), and electroactive polymers. The design strategies inspired by nature such as hierarchical systems, layered structures, and responsive interfaces to enhance the performance and functionality of these actuators, including the role of biomimicry to create devices that mimic the behavior of natural organisms, are discussed. Finally, the challenges and future directions in the field, with a focus on the development of more efficient and versatile electrospun polymer actuators which can be used in a wide range of applications, are addressed. The insights gained from this review can contribute to the development of advanced and multifunctional actuators with improved performance and expanded application possibilities.

A new method of the synthesis of oligo(tetramethylene succinate-co-carbonate) diols using dimethyl succinate, 1,4-butanediol and tetramethylene bis(methyl carbonate) was elaborated. The resultant oligomerols (Mn = 2600- 3700) were characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, GPC and DSC analysis. Depending on the content of carbonate units in the polymer molecules, the melting point of the crystalline phase changes significantly. The synthesis of poly(ester-carbonate-urea-urethane)s was carried out with two aliphatic diisocyanates - cyclic IPDI or linear HDI. The resultant products exhibited very good mechanical properties - tensile strength up to 60 MPa and elongation at break about 500%. Preliminary studies confirmed that the presence of ester units in the soft segments as well as lack of crystalline phase significantly enhances the biodegradability of the PUR in comparison to that of polyurethanes based on carbonate oligomers.