MACROMOLECULES
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2024
·
IF 5.1
Yumeng Liu,Zhixiang Dong,Yihai Wang,Jian Ding,Tuan Liu,Juan Long,Tuhua Zhong,Collin Pekol,Orlando Rios,Jong Keum,Min Xia,Naisheng Jiang,Yuzhan Li
Exchangeable liquid crystalline elastomers (xLCEs) bearing dynamic covalent bonds are promising candidates for soft actuators due to their unique capability to adjust both network structure and liquid crystalline (LC) alignment after polymerization. While current xLCEs with low exchange temperatures are convenient for processing, they suffer from issues such as creep and loss of LC alignment during repeated thermal actuation. Herein, we present an effective solution using dynamic anhydride chemistry within a thiol-ene-based xLCE. This approach enables a catalyst-free, low-temperature bond exchange of the xLCE after polymerization, allowing for the adjustment of LC orientation under mild conditions. More importantly, it enables on-demand deactivation of the bond exchange via anhydride hydrolysis, effectively eliminating creep and enhancing actuation stability for over 100 cycles. Furthermore, the hydrolysis process results in the formation of carboxylic acid groups, which can be converted into carboxylates via alkali treatment, thereby providing the xLCE with humidity responsiveness. These findings highlight the use of dynamic anhydride bonds in the fabrication and optimization of xLCEs with enhanced durability and functionality, which is expected to facilitate significant advancements in their applications in soft actuators and robotics.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
化学工程
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Chemistry-An Asian Journal
·
2023
·Vol. 18
·期 15
·e202300340
·
IF 4.1
Xinyuhang Zhang,Wei Liao,Yunpeng Wang,Zhongqiang Yang
Graphical A compressible and omnidirectional gripper is constructed using a liquid crystal elastomer foam rod. The compressed gripper enters a slit and grasps and moves hot objects to a safe place, demonstrating its potential for emergency disposal. The reported simple design for gripper construction can enhance the functions of soft robots. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are considered to be a promising material for the fabrication of soft grippers because of their large and reversible deformations, an LCE gripper with suitable compressibility and omnidirectionality has not yet been developed. To overcome these obstacles, this study utilizes salt template method to fabricate a rod-like LCE foam as gripper. The thickness of the compressible foam can be reduced by up to 77%, temporarily maintaining the deformation and enabling the gripper to pass through slits. The foam was aligned along the long axis and the length of the foam exhibits reversible thermal responsiveness and contract up to 57% along its alignment. Additionally, when the foam approaches a heat source, the generated temperature gradient results in a contraction gradient owing to the low thermal conductivity of the LCE foam. This in turn causes the foam to reversibly bend with a bending angle up to 93° and follow the movement of a heat source omnidirectionally. The developed gripper successfully grasps, moves, and releases hot objects in a cold and safe place, demonstrating its potential for emergency disposal. Thus, LCE foams can be considered suitable materials for novel gripper design and construction.
研究领域:
材料科学
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软体机器人学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2025
·
IF 8.2
Juncai Song,Tianfeng Zhou,Xiang Xiao,Mingchao Zhang,Peng Liu,Xianbing Zeng,Ruijue Duan,Yue Li,Lei Li,Baiqian Xu,Guanghao Wu,Yubing Guo
Artificial muscles are regarded as indispensable for next-generation robots. They can mimic the complex motions of living organisms and demonstrate performance surpassing that of natural muscles. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) possess the unique advantage of programmable three-dimensional shape-morphing compared to other soft materials, holding significant promise for artificial muscle applications. However, LCE-based artificial muscle with designable shape-morphing is limited to 100 μm thickness currently, which significantly restricts the driving capability of artificial muscles. Here, we developed the centimeter-scale bulk LCE (CBLCE) artificial muscles with all three dimensions up to centimeter-scale through two-step crosslinking of an LCE with acceptable actuation strain and large modulus, which results in CBLCE artificial muscles with strong mechanical properties. Specifically, this CBLCE demonstrates 37.5% actuation strain (comparable to human skeletal muscles) and strong mechanical properties, such as up to 24 MPa modulus (exceeding that of most powerful natural muscles), large energy density (10 times that of human skeletal muscle), and large output capability (3624 times its gravity). Beyond these remarkable mechanical properties, this artificial muscle further demonstrates designable complex three-dimensional shape-morphing. The developed CBLCEs hold great promise for advancing artificial muscle applications in soft robotics, expanding their potential for broader applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
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仿生学
·
机器人学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
·
2025
·
IF 6.7
Chongyang Mu,Dawei Feng,Mashooq Khan,Haoyang Song,Sundas Munir,Qiongzheng Hu,Li Yu
Cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) possess a unique characteristic that allows the manipulation of the reflected color by adjusting the spacing between layers. This attribute can create a reliable and cost-effective colorimetric sensing platform for the on-site detection of various substances. In this study, CLCE films were coupled with cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) (CLCE-PAA) or poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (CLCE-PDA) films to monitor cholesterol and malathion levels, respectively. In both cases, the color change is recorded by a mobile phone camera, and the reflectance wavelength is measured spectrophotometrically. For on-site detection, a smartphone application was used to capture the film’s image, process the color data into hue (H) values, and calculate the corresponding concentration of the tested analyte via an analysis program. Cholesterol and malathion can be detected within a linear range of 0.2–1.0 mM and 1–10,000 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding recoveries for actual sample analysis were 86–115% and 87–122% for cholesterol and malathion, respectively. This system offers a practical solution for on-site testing of cholesterol and malathion in biological and environmental samples.
研究领域:
生物传感
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环境监测
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医学检测
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2024
·
IF 8.3
Shirong Jing,Jinhui Huang,Huan Wang,Yilei Wang,Hui Xie,Shaobing Zhou
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), as a classical two-way shape-memory material, are good candidates for developing artificial muscles that mimic the contraction, expansion, or rotational behavior of natural muscles. However, biomimicry is currently focused more on the actuation functions of natural muscles dominated by muscle fibers, whereas the tactile sensing functions that are dominated by neuronal receptors and synapses have not been well captured. Very few studies have reported the sensing concept for LCEs, but the signals were still donated by macroscopic actuation, that is, variations in angle or length. Herein, we develop a conductive porous LCE (CPLCE) using a solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO))-templated photo-cross-linking strategy, followed by carbon nanotube (CNT) incorporation. The CPLCE has excellent reversible contraction/elongation behavior in a manner similar to the actuation functions of skeletal muscles. Moreover, the CPLCE shows excellent pressure-sensing performance by providing real-time electrical signals and is capable of microtouch sensing, which is very similar to natural tactile sensing. Furthermore, macroscopic actuation and tactile sensation can be integrated into a single system. Proof-of-concept studies reveal that the CPLCE-based artificial muscle is sensitive to external touch while maintaining its excellent actuation performance. The CPLCE with tactile sensation beyond reversible actuation is expected to benefit the development of versatile artificial muscles and intelligent robots.
研究领域:
材料科学
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生物仿生学
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传感器技术
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2025
·
IF 8.2
Yang Chen,Yuxiang Liu,Runze Yu,Yingshuai Zhao,Juntong Lu,Gang Chen,Yijun Zheng,Chunhong Ye
Polymer-based soft actuators capable of responsive shape morphing hold great potential for developing untethered soft robotics with dexterous motion under complex surroundings. To realize this potential, achieving fast, dynamically tunable shape morphing that can generate sufficient mechanical force is essential. Here, soft actuators composed of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) bilayer film are constructed via direct ink writing (DIW), which exhibit rapid and sequential 3D-to-3D́ morphological reconfiguration within seconds under temperature stimulus. The dynamic shape morphing is facilitated by the bidirectional bending of the LCE film, which possesses anisotropic mesogen orientation and distinct phase transition temperatures. By balancing the two LCE layers in terms of differential contraction, layer sequence, and two-dimensional (2D) geometry, its bending directions, amplitude, and sequence can be programmed, thus enabling diverse three-dimensional (3D) shape reconfigurations, such as biomimetic “orchid” blooming and “palm” gesture switching. Beyond shape morphing, the LCE actuator is capable of converting shape morphing into rotational kinetic energy in different directions. As a prototype, it generates sufficient torque to drive the rotation of an LCE rotor, exhibiting switchable clockwise, “self-oscillating”, and anticlockwise motions. With the merits of dynamic shape morphing and mechanical energy harvesting, the LCE actuator presents a promising platform for advancing soft robotics with adaptive and diverse locomotion for performing tasks in complex environments.
研究领域:
材料科学
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软体机器人学
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智能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
·
2025
·
IF 2.8
Hongwei Zhou,Hongjin Li,Yao Yan,Rong Yang
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are liquid crystal polymers with moderate crosslinking that exhibit elasticity in both their isotropic and liquid crystal states. These materials can be programmed through chemical design and geometric configuration to achieve autonomous actuation at specific temperatures. Typically, the autonomous actuation temperature of LCEs exceeds the phase transition temperature of their isotropic states, with most reported LCEs requiring temperatures above 100°C. Such high temperatures pose challenges for use in soft robotics due to increased energy consumption and limited operational flexibility. In this study, we introduce a small amount of polycaprolactone (PCL) into the main chain of LCEs, effectively lowering their phase transition temperature while maintaining over 90% of the reversible shrinkage strain characteristic of pure LCEs. By adjusting the PCL content, the number of twists, and the helix density, we successfully obtained an LCE-PCL actuator with improved autonomous actuation performance at temperatures ranging from 45°C to 105°C. Moreover, by modulating the degree of torsion and the operating temperature, the LCE-PCL autonomous actuator demonstrates the ability to perform complex motions, such as reversing and parking. This work offers new insights into the design and application of LCEs with reduced phase transition temperatures and enhanced self-driving capabilities.
研究领域:
材料科学
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高分子化学
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智能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Advanced Materials Technologies
·
2024
·Vol. 9
·期 13
·2400073
·
IF 6.4
Yongcheng He,Haojun Liu,Jiajia Luo,Nuo Li,Zhishen Zhang,Jiulin Gan,Zhongmin Yang
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) photoactuators offer a versatile platform for executing complicated tasks through precisely controlled bending directions and amplitudes. Optical waveguides assist photoactuators to perform tasks unimpededly. While most existing optical waveguide actuators are limited to unidirectional bending, limiting their versatility. Here, a LCE actuator integrated with a tapered optical fiber with controllable bending directions and amplitudes is presented. The LCE actuator displays bending motions induced by uneven shrinkage due to the off-center fiber. The bending directions are parallel to the previous uniaxial alignment of the LCE film, which can be adjusted to an arbitrary angle with the tapered optical fiber. The LCE actuators exhibit adaptable bending directions at 0°, 45°, and 90°, representing the possible bending motions. The bending amplitudes are regulated by infrared laser power. A hook-like LCE actuator with 0° bending direction carried the handle of a basket. In addition, a 90° bending direction LCE actuator displays the shrinkage behavior, showing a special bending motion control. Moreover, a bionic hand, comprising five LCE actuators with various bending directions, exhibited diverse gestures with precise control. The controllable bending motions in optical waveguide actuators expand the promising applications in complicated scenarios, such as catheters or other medical devices.
研究领域:
材料科学
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光学工程
·
仿生学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
SENSORS
·
2025
·Vol. 25
·期 7
·2051
·
IF 3.5
Chuang Wang,Hao Wu,Quanwang Niu,Xiaohong Yan,Xiangfu Wang
While liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) show promise for diverse soft actuators due to their strong stimulus responsiveness, limited investigation into their light perception and processing restricts their wider use in intelligent systems. This study employs a hollow double-layer structure to design light-controlled logic soft switches based on LCEs. The design realizes digital logic circuits including AND gates, OR gates, and NOT gates, as well as an optical switch array capable of converting light signals into visualized digital signals. These light-controlled soft switches exhibit strong photothermal responsiveness (~12 s), high programmability, and excellent cyclic stability (>500 times). This research provides a new perspective on light-controlled logic soft switches and their applications in logic circuits.
研究领域:
材料科学
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光学工程
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智能系统
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Materials Today Communications
·
2021
·
IF 3.383
Haibo Zhang,Wanbing Li,He Liu,Shibin Shang,Zhanqian Song
Azobenzene-based liquid crystalline elastomers with dynamic ester bonds exhibit high thermal- and photo-responsive properties. However, there are a few studies that focus on photo-induced and thermal-induced behaviors separately. Herein, novel thermal- and photo-responsive LCEs containing dynamic ester bonds were prepared from 4,4’-diglycidyloxy-azobenzene, sebacic acid and tung oil-based azobenzene, which acted as a side chain. The dynamic transesterification reactions on the network structure were confirmed through stress relaxation. The photo-induced and thermal-induced behaviors were also investigated. The monodomain LCEs film was obtained by uniaxial stretching at a temperature above the smectic–isotropic phase transition temperature ( T i ∼82 °C). Due to the breakage and formation of dynamic ester bonds and the order-disorder smectic phase transition caused by heat and the trans-cis isomerization of azobenzene mesogens, the thermal-induced stress of the monodomain LCEs film reached ∼3 MPa. The LCEs film also exhibited thermal-induced shape-memory properties. Investigation of its photo-responsive behavior further demonstrated that the monodomain LCEs film generated stress of ∼1.1 MPa while exhibited photo-induced deformation due to the trans-cis isomerization of azobenzene mesogens upon irradiation with 365 nm UV light. Finally, we observed that the monodomain LCEs film could undergo quickly photo-induced deformation and could be processed into a photo-driven gripper.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
高分子化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Soft Matter
·
2022
·Vol. 18
·期 48
·9181-9196
·
IF 4.046
Xinyu Zhang,Liru Yao,Huixuan Yan,Yuhe Zhang,Dongxu Han,Yifan He,Chensha Li,Jianqi Zhang
We explore obtaining different photo responses of liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) materials through modulating the optical wavelengths in order to promote the development of precise photocontrol on LCE actuators, and thus study the effect of light-absorbing dyes with different absorption bands on the selective actuation of LCE materials. The dye-doped LCEs were prepared by incorporating special visible absorber dyes into thiol-acrylate main chain LCE (MC-LCE) matrices. The dyes showed photo actuation performance to LCEs due to the photothermal effects. But, every dye-doped LCE could be effectively actuated by light irradiation whose wavelength was inside its absorption band, but could not be effectively actuated by the light whose wavelength was beyond its absorption band. Wavelength selective actuation effects, no matter actuating deformation or actuating force, could be remarkably demonstrated by these dye-doped LCEs through filtering the same quasi-daylight source to be different wavelength bands. Our work opens up a significant way for the precise and convenient photo actuation of LCE actuators, while expanding the utilization potential of quasi-daylight, and further natural sunlight.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
光学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ADVANCED MATERIALS
·
2023
·Vol. 35
·期 36
·2302706
·
IF 29.4
Jiahao Sun,Wei Liao,Zhongqiang Yang
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) exhibits large and reversible deformability originating from the alignment of liquid crystal mesogens. Additive manufacturing provides high controllability in the alignment and shaping process of LCE actuators. However, it still remains a challenge to customize LCE actuators with both diverse 3D deformability and recyclability. In this study, a new strategy is developed to exploit knitting technique to additively manufacture LCE actuators. The obtained LCE actuators are fabric-structured with designed geometry and deformability. By accurately adjusting the parameters of the knitting patterns as modules, diverse geometry is pixel-wise designed, and complex 3D deformations including bending, twisting, and folding are quantitatively controlled. In addition, the fabric-structured LCE actuators can be threaded, stitched, and reknitted to achieve advanced geometry, integrated multi-functions and efficient recyclability. This approach allows the fabrication of versatile LCE actuators with potential applications in smart textiles and soft robots.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
制造工程
·
软体机器人
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）