Issue 5, 2023

Three-dimensional liquid crystal polymer actuators assembled by athermal photo-welding

Abstract

Photodeformable liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) exhibit shape changes of different modes like bending, twisting, and oscillation, which depend on the orientation of liquid crystals. However, it is challenging to create a three-dimensional (3D) actuator with distinct actuation modes due to the difficulty of local orientation in a complex bulk architecture. Here we propose a strategy based on athermal photo-welding to integrate different orientations into a single flexible actuator by the photofluidization of azobenzene-containing linear LCPs. Stretch-induced uniaxial films are cut in different directions and subsequently welded via local photofluidization, during which the LCP transitions from a high-modulus glassy state to a rubbery state upon photoisomerization of azobenzene at room temperature. As a consequence, a cucumber vine-like structure with the opposite handedness and a lifting gripper are constructed by such a cut-and-weld process, demonstrating diverse deformation modes of winding, unwinding, and curling. This strategy provides an athermal process for the fabrication of seamless 3D flexible actuators without structural defects, which have potential applications in micromechanical systems, soft robotics, and artificial muscles.

Graphical abstract: Three-dimensional liquid crystal polymer actuators assembled by athermal photo-welding

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 nov 2022
Accepted
29 dec 2022
First published
29 dec 2022

Soft Matter, 2023,19, 999-1007

Three-dimensional liquid crystal polymer actuators assembled by athermal photo-welding

Y. Feng, J. Wei, L. Qin and Y. Yu, Soft Matter, 2023, 19, 999 DOI: 10.1039/D2SM01476A

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