Soft tubular actuators can be widely found both in nature and engineering applications. The benefits of include (i) multiple actuation modes such as contraction, bending, expansion; (ii) facile fabrication from a planar sheet; (iii) large interior space for accommodating additional components or transporting fluids. Most recently developed soft are driven by pneumatics, hydraulics, tendons. Each these has limitations including complex fabrication, integration, nonuniform strain. Here, we...

A rhodamine-based molecule, Rh-OH, is synthesized. Rh-OH exhibits a reversible mechanochromic luminescent character but passivating response to UV light. An elastomeric polymer film based on polyurethane with embedded prepared via polycondensation reaction. The shows and photochromic properties color change, which originates from the isomerization of molecule twisted spirolactam in ring-closed form planarized zwitterionic structure ring-open state.

Fibers capable of generating axial contraction are commonly seen in nature and engineering applications. Despite the broad applications fiber actuators, it is still very challenging to fabricate actuators with combined large actuation strain, fast response speed, high power density. Here, we report fabrication a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) microfiber using facile electrospinning technique. Owing extremely small size LCE microfibers, they can generate strain (~60 percent) speed (<0.2...

Mechanofluorochromic or piezochromic fluorescence chemistry involves the switching and tuning of luminescent properties solid-state materials induced by exogenous forces, such as grinding, shearing, compression, tension, so forth. Up until now, most reported mechanochromic systems, including liquid crystals, organic molecules, organometallic compounds, polymers, dye-doped have displayed reversible two-color changes, which arise from either supramolecular chemical structure transformations....

A liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) can be regarded as an integration of mesogenic molecules into a polymer network. The LCE generate large mechanical actuation when subjected to various external stimuli. Recently, it has been extensively explored make artificial muscle and multifunctional devices. However, in the commonly adopted two-step crosslinking method for synthesizing monodomain LCEs, needs well-cross-linked first step before stretching, which increases disorder final state makes very...

Asserting its independence: A single organic molecule containing pyrene and rhodamine B chromophores separated by a peptide spacer formed mechanochromic material whose fluorescence could be switched from blue to bluish-green reddish grinding. Modulation of the overlapped packing pattern excimer for emission was crucial reversible tricolored switching observed.

Abstract The single crystal of M‐4‐B was obtained by attaching the boron BH 3 to amine linker between a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) unit and rhodamine B. showed novel sequential tricolor switching from dark blue bluish‐green reddish color upon grinding. atom played key role in developing crystal.

Traditional hard robots often require complex motion-control systems to accomplish various tasks, while applications of soft-bodied are limited by their low load-carrying capability. Herein, a hybrid tensegrity robot composed both and soft materials is constructed, mimicking the musculoskeletal system animals. Employing liquid crystal elastomer-carbon nanotube composites as artificial muscles in robot, it demonstrated that extremely deformable, its multidirectional locomotion can be entirely...

A 3D printing strategy to fabricate functionally graded liquid crystal elastomer is developed.

Optically driven active materials have received much attention because their deformation and motion can be controlled remotely, instantly, precisely in a contactless way. In this study, we investigated an optically actuated elastomer with rapid response: polydopamine (PDA)-coated liquid crystal (LCE). Because of the photothermal effect PDA coating thermal responsiveness LCE, film contracted significantly near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. With fixed strain, light-induced actuating stress could...

Abstract Given the rapid developments in modern electronics, there is an urgent need for polymer composites with excellent heat‐dissipating capabilities to address cooling problem of these devices. However, designing a highly thermally conductive composite that can outperform metals and ceramics while also exhibiting high processability low cost remains challenge. Herein, inspired by fibrous pathway human nervous system, natural wood fibers (WFs) are used as template coated graphene...

As soft active materials, shape-memory polymers (SMPs) and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) have attracted considerable research interest due to their potential applications in various areas. SMPs refer polymeric materials that can return permanent shape response external stimuli, such as heat, light, solvent. In this sense, LCEs exhibit intrinsic behaviors since switch between two shapes with temperature change the order-disorder transition of crystals. work, we fabricate both polydomain...

Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) is a typical thermally responsive soft material, which an ideal candidate for fabricating programmable shape changing structures. The anisotropic changes of LCEs caused by the mesogen reorientation are inherently different from those other stimulus-responsive materials, such as hydrogels and dielectric elastomers. In this paper, we first investigate bending behaviors bilayer with monodomain active layer polydomain passive layer. It shown that folding can be...

Abstract Artificial muscles that can reproduce the functions and biomimetic motions of natural are widely used to construct soft robots with applications in various fields. However, it is still challenging develop stimuli-responsive artificial multiple-mode actuation. Inspired by forearm muscles, we propose a new type actuation using liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), named FILAMs (forearm muscle-inspired LCE-based muscles). The proposed consist active LCE driving units, passive silicone...

Despite the great advancement in designing diverse soft robots, they are not yet as dexterous animals many aspects. One challenge is that still lack compact design of an artificial motor unit with a comprehensive performance can be conveniently fabricated, although recently developed muscles have shown excellent properties one or two Herein, based on gold-coated ultrathin liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) film. Subject to voltage, Joule heating generated by gold film increases temperature LCE...

Tensegrity structure is composed of tensile cables and compressive rods, offering high stiffness-to-mass ratio, deploy ability, excellent energy damping capability. The active dynamic tensegrity designs demonstrate great potential for soft robots. In previous designs, the movement has relied on carefully controlled input power or manually light irradiation, limiting their applications. Here, a hybrid (HTS) constructed by integrating thermally responsive cables, nonresponsive stiff rods. HTS...

Abstract Recently, liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) have drawn much attention for its wide applications as artificial muscle in soft robotics, wearable devices, and biomedical engineering. One commonly adopted way to trigger deformation of LCEs is using embedded heating elements such resistance wires photothermal particles. To enable the material recover unactuated state, passive external cooling often employed lower temperature, which typically slow environmentally sensitive. The...

Microwave‐sintering (MWS) technique was employed to fabricate dense (Ba 0.4 Sr 0.6 )TiO 3 (BST) ceramics. With respect the high dielectric loss at room temperature, induced by formation of oxygen defects during MWS under vacuum atmosphere (−60 kPa), as‐sintered samples were thermally annealed in air reduce tanδ and recover insulating performance. Accompanied decreased tanδ, energy storage properties for BST optimized, with increasing density (γ) from 0.77 1.15 J/cm efficiency (η) 60% 82%....

Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) is a newly emerging soft actuating material that has been extensively explored for building novel robots and diverse active devices, thanks to its large actuation stress strain, high work density, versatile modes. However, there have also several widely recognized limitations of LCE-based actuators practical applications, including slow response narrow range operation temperature. Herein, we develop fluid-driven disulfide LCE through facile laminate...

Biohybrid is a newly emerging and promising approach to construct soft robotics machines with novel functions, high energy efficiency, great adaptivity intelligence. Despite many unique advantages of biohybrid systems, it well known that most systems have relatively short lifetime, require complex fabrication process, only remain functional careful maintenance. Herein, we introduce simple method create highly robust power-free mechanoluminescence, by encapsulating dinoflagellates,...