4D direct laser writing of photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomer microactuators with large actuation strain

Zhenjia Huang; Gary Chi Pong Tsui; Ka Wai Yeung; Chun Li; Chak Yin Tang; Miao Zhang; Wai Yeung Wong; Mo Yang

doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112101

4D direct laser writing of photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomer microactuators with large actuation strain

Zhenjia Huang, Gary Chi Pong Tsui, Ka Wai Yeung, Chun Li, Chak Yin Tang, Miao Zhang, Wai Yeung Wong, Mo Yang

Research output: Journal article publication › Journal article › Academic research › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

4D printed photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) microactuators by direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization (DLW-TPP) have attracted increasing attention due to their manipulation flexibility, reversible and rapid actuation capabilities. However, their development is hampered by the lack of room-temperature printable liquid crystal (LC) photoresists. Here, we developed new light-responsive LC photoresists by incorporating novel conjugated polymers (CPs) as photothermal agents for the DLW-TPP technology. The CPs displayed a remarkable photothermal effect and effectively avoided the aggregation problems that always happened for inorganic nanoparticles in photoresists. Moreover, the CPs incorporation lowered the nematic-to-isotropic temperature of the LC photoresists which is beneficial for room-temperature DLW-TPP. The printing parameters, including laser power and scanning speed, were investigated using the developed LC photoresists. It was found the range of printing parameters decreased with the increase of the CPs loading fraction from 0.1 to 0.5 wt%, which was attributed to the high photothermal conversion efficiency (52.7%). A well-defined CPs/LCEs microactuator with CPs as low as 0.3 wt% was printed, which could achieve a large 25.0% actuation strain in 5 s upon near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation. It could be used for thriving soft micro-robotics and micro-membranes with controllable separation capabilities.

Original language	English
Article number	112101
Journal	Materials and Design
Volume	232
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112101
Publication status	Published - Aug 2023

Keywords

4D direct laser writing
Conjugated polymers
Liquid crystal elastomers
Microactuators

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering

More information

10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112101

Cite this

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title = "4D direct laser writing of photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomer microactuators with large actuation strain",

abstract = "4D printed photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) microactuators by direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization (DLW-TPP) have attracted increasing attention due to their manipulation flexibility, reversible and rapid actuation capabilities. However, their development is hampered by the lack of room-temperature printable liquid crystal (LC) photoresists. Here, we developed new light-responsive LC photoresists by incorporating novel conjugated polymers (CPs) as photothermal agents for the DLW-TPP technology. The CPs displayed a remarkable photothermal effect and effectively avoided the aggregation problems that always happened for inorganic nanoparticles in photoresists. Moreover, the CPs incorporation lowered the nematic-to-isotropic temperature of the LC photoresists which is beneficial for room-temperature DLW-TPP. The printing parameters, including laser power and scanning speed, were investigated using the developed LC photoresists. It was found the range of printing parameters decreased with the increase of the CPs loading fraction from 0.1 to 0.5 wt%, which was attributed to the high photothermal conversion efficiency (52.7%). A well-defined CPs/LCEs microactuator with CPs as low as 0.3 wt% was printed, which could achieve a large 25.0% actuation strain in 5 s upon near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation. It could be used for thriving soft micro-robotics and micro-membranes with controllable separation capabilities.",

keywords = "4D direct laser writing, Conjugated polymers, Liquid crystal elastomers, Microactuators",

author = "Zhenjia Huang and Tsui, {Gary Chi Pong} and Yeung, {Ka Wai} and Chun Li and Tang, {Chak Yin} and Miao Zhang and Wong, {Wai Yeung} and Mo Yang",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the financial support from the Research Committee of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Project code: RK28). The work described in this paper was partially supported by a grant from the General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. PolyU15211221). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author(s)",

year = "2023",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112101",

language = "English",

volume = "232",

journal = "Materials and Design",

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T1 - 4D direct laser writing of photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomer microactuators with large actuation strain

AU - Huang, Zhenjia

AU - Tsui, Gary Chi Pong

AU - Yeung, Ka Wai

AU - Li, Chun

AU - Tang, Chak Yin

AU - Zhang, Miao

AU - Wong, Wai Yeung

AU - Yang, Mo

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the financial support from the Research Committee of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Project code: RK28). The work described in this paper was partially supported by a grant from the General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. PolyU15211221). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)

PY - 2023/8

Y1 - 2023/8

N2 - 4D printed photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) microactuators by direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization (DLW-TPP) have attracted increasing attention due to their manipulation flexibility, reversible and rapid actuation capabilities. However, their development is hampered by the lack of room-temperature printable liquid crystal (LC) photoresists. Here, we developed new light-responsive LC photoresists by incorporating novel conjugated polymers (CPs) as photothermal agents for the DLW-TPP technology. The CPs displayed a remarkable photothermal effect and effectively avoided the aggregation problems that always happened for inorganic nanoparticles in photoresists. Moreover, the CPs incorporation lowered the nematic-to-isotropic temperature of the LC photoresists which is beneficial for room-temperature DLW-TPP. The printing parameters, including laser power and scanning speed, were investigated using the developed LC photoresists. It was found the range of printing parameters decreased with the increase of the CPs loading fraction from 0.1 to 0.5 wt%, which was attributed to the high photothermal conversion efficiency (52.7%). A well-defined CPs/LCEs microactuator with CPs as low as 0.3 wt% was printed, which could achieve a large 25.0% actuation strain in 5 s upon near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation. It could be used for thriving soft micro-robotics and micro-membranes with controllable separation capabilities.

AB - 4D printed photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) microactuators by direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization (DLW-TPP) have attracted increasing attention due to their manipulation flexibility, reversible and rapid actuation capabilities. However, their development is hampered by the lack of room-temperature printable liquid crystal (LC) photoresists. Here, we developed new light-responsive LC photoresists by incorporating novel conjugated polymers (CPs) as photothermal agents for the DLW-TPP technology. The CPs displayed a remarkable photothermal effect and effectively avoided the aggregation problems that always happened for inorganic nanoparticles in photoresists. Moreover, the CPs incorporation lowered the nematic-to-isotropic temperature of the LC photoresists which is beneficial for room-temperature DLW-TPP. The printing parameters, including laser power and scanning speed, were investigated using the developed LC photoresists. It was found the range of printing parameters decreased with the increase of the CPs loading fraction from 0.1 to 0.5 wt%, which was attributed to the high photothermal conversion efficiency (52.7%). A well-defined CPs/LCEs microactuator with CPs as low as 0.3 wt% was printed, which could achieve a large 25.0% actuation strain in 5 s upon near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation. It could be used for thriving soft micro-robotics and micro-membranes with controllable separation capabilities.

KW - 4D direct laser writing

KW - Conjugated polymers

KW - Liquid crystal elastomers

KW - Microactuators

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U2 - 10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112101

DO - 10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112101

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85163143583

SN - 0264-1275

VL - 232

JO - Materials and Design

JF - Materials and Design

M1 - 112101

ER -

4D direct laser writing of photo-triggered liquid crystal elastomer microactuators with large actuation strain

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