Liquid Crystals: Versatile Self-Organized Smart Soft Materials

Chemical Reviews, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 122(5), С. 4887 - 4926

Опубликована: Дек. 23, 2021

Smart soft materials are envisioned to be the building blocks of next generation advanced devices and digitally augmented technologies. In this context, liquid crystals (LCs) owing their responsive adaptive attributes could serve as promising smart materials. LCs played a critical role in revolutionizing information display industry 20th century. However, turn 21st century, numerous beyond-display applications have been demonstrated, which elegantly exploit controllable stimuli-responsive characteristics. For these applications, new LC rationally designed developed. Review, we present recent developments light driven chiral LCs, i.e., cholesteric blue phases, based windows that control entrance heat from outdoor interior buildings built environments depending on weather conditions, elastomers for bioinspired, biological, actuator biosensors detection proteins, nucleic acids, viruses, porous membranes separation ions, molecules, microbes, living under macro- nanoscopic confinement. The Review concludes with summary perspectives challenges opportunities This is anticipated stimulate eclectic ideas toward implementation nature's delicate phase matter future generations beyond.

Язык: Английский

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Disulfide-Mediated Reversible Polymerization toward Intrinsically Dynamic Smart Materials

Journal of the American Chemical Society, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 144(5), С. 2022 - 2033

Опубликована: Янв. 6, 2022

The development of a dynamic chemistry toolbox to endow materials behavior has been key the rational design future smart materials. rise supramolecular and covalent offers many approaches construction polymers that can adapt, respond, repair, recycle. Within this toolbox, building blocks based on 1,2-dithiolanes have become an important scaffold, featuring their reversible polymerization mediated by disulfide bonds, which enables unique class at intersection adaptable networks. This Perspective aims explore as versatile structural unit for summarizing state art well providing overview fundamental challenges involved in research area its potential directions.

Язык: Английский

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Mechanochromic, Shape‐Programmable and Self‐Healable Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Elastomers Enabled by Dynamic Covalent Boronic Ester Bonds

Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 61(9)

Опубликована: Дек. 28, 2021

Endowing a cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer (CLCE) exhibiting helicoidal nanostructure with dynamically tailorable functionalities is of paramount significance for its emerging applications in diverse fields such as adaptive optics and soft robotics. Here, mechanochromic, shape-programmable self-healable CLCE judiciously designed synthesized through integrating dynamic covalent boronic ester bonds into the main-chain polymer network. The circularly polarized reflection CLCEs can be reversibly tuned across entire visible spectrum by mechanical stretching. Thanks to introduction bonds, were found show robust reprogrammable self-healing capabilities. research disclosed herein provide new insights development 4D (color 3D shape) programmable photonic actuators towards bioinspired camouflage, optical systems, next-generation intelligent machines.

Язык: Английский

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Thermo‐ and Mechanochromic Camouflage and Self‐Healing in Biomimetic Soft Actuators Based on Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 61(8)

Опубликована: Дек. 14, 2021

In nature, many mysterious creatures capable of deformation camouflage, color and self-healing have inspired scientists to develop various biomimetic soft robots. However, the systematic integration all above functionalities into a single actuator system still remains challenge. Here we chemically introduce multi-stimuli-responsive tetraarylsuccinonitrile (TASN) chromophore liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) network through facile thiol-ene photoaddition method. The obtained TASN-LCE actuators not only exhibit reversible shape-morphing color-changing behavior in response heat mechanical compression, but also show excellent self-healing, reprogramming recycling characteristics. We hope that such endowed with dynamic distortion, thermo- mechano-chromic would pave way for further development multifunctional robotic devices.

Язык: Английский

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Control Strategies for Soft Robot Systems

Advanced Intelligent Systems, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 4(5)

Опубликована: Фев. 22, 2022

Soft robots have recently attracted increased attention because their characteristics of low‐cost fabrication, durability, and deformability make them uniquely suited for applications in bio‐integrated systems. Being fundamentally different from traditional rigid robots, soft exhibit properties infinite degrees freedom (DOF) nonlinear materials that require innovations control With the rapid development science, robotics, artificial intelligence, diversification actuator mechanisms algorithms has enabled a wide range unique strategies. This review summarizes basics strategies, including open‐loop control, closed‐loop autonomous discusses implementation diversified perspectives. Control strategies are evaluated based on compatibility with sets, application goals, route. The emerging directions forecasted perspectives interfacing between controller actuator, underactuated intelligence (AI).

Язык: Английский

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Liquid crystal-based structural color actuators

Light Science & Applications, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 11(1)

Опубликована: Авг. 5, 2022

Abstract Animals can modify their body shape and/or color for protection, camouflage and communication. This adaptability has inspired fabrication of actuators with structural changes to endow soft robots additional functionalities. Using liquid crystal-based materials is a promising approach. In this review, we discuss the current state potential applications these in robotic devices.

Язык: Английский

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Organic–inorganic covalent–ionic molecules for elastic ceramic plastic

Nature, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 619(7969), С. 293 - 299

Опубликована: Июнь 7, 2023

Язык: Английский

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Self-healable functional polymers and polymer-based composites

Progress in Polymer Science, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 144, С. 101724 - 101724

Опубликована: Июль 5, 2023

Язык: Английский

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Scalable functionalized liquid crystal elastomer fiber soft actuators with multi-stimulus responses and photoelectric conversion

Materials Horizons, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 10(7), С. 2587 - 2598

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2023

Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers exhibit large deformation and reversibility, making them an ideal candidate for soft actuators. It is still challenging to develop a scalable strategy endow fiber actuators with photoelectric functions achieve tailorable photo-electro-thermal responsiveness rapid actuation deformation. Herein, we fabricated multiresponsive actuator that consists of LCE long obtained by continuous dry spinning further coated it polydopamine (PDA)-modified MXene ink. The designed PDA@MXene-integrated used shape-deformable multi-trigger can be photo- electro-thermally actuated. proposed combines excellent photothermal long-term electrically conductive PDA@MXene shape-morphing fiber, enabling their robust mechanical flexibility, multiple fast responses (∼0.4 s), stable (∼60%). As proof-of-concept, present near-infrared light-driven artificial muscle lift 1000 times the weight intelligent circuit switch controllability (∼0.1 s). Importantly, adaptive smart window system integrates energy harvesting/conversion ingeniously constructed integration propellable curtain woven solar cells. This work provide insights into development advanced materials toward robotics, sustainable savings beyond.

Язык: Английский

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Photoinduced Dithiolane Crosslinking for Multiresponsive Dynamic Hydrogels

Advanced Materials, Год журнала: 2023, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Янв. 30, 2023

While many hydrogels are elastic networks crosslinked by covalent bonds, viscoelastic with adaptable crosslinks increasingly being developed to better recapitulate time and position-dependent processes found in tissues. In this work, 1,2-dithiolanes presented as dynamic photocrosslinkers of hydrogels, resulting disulfide bonds throughout the hydrogel that respond multiple stimuli. Using lipoic acid a model dithiolane, formed under physiological conditions, enabling cell encapsulation via an initiator-free light-induced dithiolane ring-opening photopolymerization. The allow for photoinduced responses including stress relaxation, stiffening, softening, network functionalization using single chemistry, which can be supplemented permanent reaction alkenes further control properties connectivity irreversible thioether crosslinks. Moreover, complementary photochemical approaches used achieve rapid complete sample degradation radical scission post-gelation stiffening when irradiated presence reactive gel precursor. results herein demonstrate versatility material chemistry study direct 2D 3D cell-material interactions. This work highlights dithiolane-based photocrosslinking robust method generating range biologically relevant mechanical chemical varied on demand.

Язык: Английский

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