Arbitrary shape (re)programming is appealing for fabricating untethered shape‐morphing photo‐actuators with intricate configurations and features. We present re‐programmable light‐responsive ...thermoplastic actuators with arbitrary initial shapes through spray‐coating of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with an azobenzene‐doped light‐responsive liquid crystal network (LCN). The initial geometry of the actuator is controlled by thermally shaping and fixing the thermoplastic PET, allowing arbitrary shapes, including origami‐like folds and left‐ and right‐handed helicity within a single sample. The thermally fixed geometries can be reversibly actuated through light exposure, with fast, reversible area‐specific actuation such as winding, unwinding and unfolding. By shape re‐programming, the same sample can be re‐designed and light‐actuated again. The strategy presented here demonstrates easy fabrication of mechanically robust, recyclable, photo‐responsive actuators with highly tuneable geometries and actuation modes.
Thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were spray‐coated with an azobenzene‐doped liquid‐crystal network (LCN). Arbitrary shapes are programmed by thermal shaping and fixing of PET, enabling untethered, area‐specific light response with origami‐like folds. The thermoplastic actuator demonstrates multi‐modal shape morphing in a single sample and can be re‐designed and light‐actuated repeatedly.
Recent years have seen major advances in the developments of both additive manufacturing concepts and responsive materials. When combined as 4D printing, the process can lead to functional materials ...and devices for use in health, energy generation, sensing, and soft robots. Among responsive materials, liquid crystals, which can deliver programmed, reversible, rapid responses in both air and underwater, are a prime contender for additive manufacturing, given their ease of use and adaptability to many different applications. In this paper, selected works are compared and analyzed to come to a didactical overview of the liquid crystal‐additive manufacturing junction. Reading from front to back gives the reader a comprehensive understanding of the options and challenges in the field, while researchers already experienced in either liquid crystals or additive manufacturing are encouraged to scan through the text to see how they can incorporate additive manufacturing or liquid crystals into their own work. The educational text is closed with proposals for future research in this crossover field.
Liquid crystals are the basis for many “smart” materials used in, for instance, soft robotics and polymer optics. Recently, their potential and appeal for different additive manufacturing techniques has been demonstrated. Insight into the usage of liquid crystals in 3D printing for fabrication at both micro‐ and centimeterscale is provided for those wanting to join this exciting, developing field.
Beyond their colorful appearances and versatile geometries, flowers can self‐shape‐morph by adapting to environmental changes. Such responses are often regulated by a delicate interplay between ...different stimuli such as temperature, light, and humidity, giving rise to the beauty and complexity of the plant kingdom. Nature inspires scientists to realize artificial systems that mimic their natural counterparts in function, flexibility, and adaptation. Yet, many of the artificial systems demonstrated to date fail to mimic the adaptive functions, due to the lack of multi‐responsivity and sophisticated control over deformation directionality. Herein, a new class of liquid‐crystal‐network (LCN) photoactuators whose response is controlled by delicate interplay between light and humidity is presented. Using a novel deformation mechanism in LCNs, humidity‐gated photoactuation, an artificial nocturnal flower is devised that is closed under daylight conditions when the humidity level is low and/or the light level is high, while it opens in the dark when the humidity level is high. The humidity‐gated photoactuators can be fueled with lower light intensities than conventional photothermal LCN actuators. This, combined with facile control over the speed, geometry, and directionality of movements, renders the “nocturnal actuator” promising for smart and adaptive bioinspired microrobotics.
An artificial nocturnal flower based on humidity‐gated photoactuation in a liquid crystal polymer network is demonstrated. The “nocturnal actuator” mimics the opening and closing of night‐blooming flowers, opening in the dark under the assistance of high relative humidity and closing upon light illumination or low humidity.
Hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline polymers have emerged as promising "smart" supramolecular functional materials with stimuli-responsive, self-healing, and recyclable properties. The hydrogen bonds ...can either be used as chemically responsive (i.e., pH-responsive) or as dynamic structural (i.e., temperature-responsive) moieties. Responsiveness can be manifested as changes in shape, color, or porosity and as selective binding. The liquid crystalline self-organization gives the materials their unique responsive nanostructures. Typically, the materials used for actuators or optical materials are constructed using linear calamitic (rod-shaped) hydrogen-bonded complexes, while nanoporous materials are constructed from either calamitic or discotic (disk-shaped) complexes. The dynamic structural character of the hydrogen bond moieties can be used to construct self-healing and recyclable supramolecular materials. In this review, recent findings are summarized, and potential future applications are discussed.
Self-assembly provides an attractive route to functional organic materials, with properties and hence performance depending sensitively on the organization of the molecular building blocks. Molecular ...organization is a direct consequence of the pathways involved in the supramolecular assembly process, which is more amenable to detailed study when using one-dimensional systems. In the case of protein fibrils, formation and growth have been attributed to complex aggregation pathways that go beyond traditional concepts of homogeneous and secondary nucleation events. The self-assembly of synthetic supramolecular polymers has also been studied and even modulated, but our quantitative understanding of the processes involved remains limited. Here we report time-resolved observations of the formation of supramolecular polymers from π-conjugated oligomers. Our kinetic experiments show the presence of a kinetically favoured metastable assembly that forms quickly but then transforms into the thermodynamically favoured form. Quantitative insight into the kinetic experiments was obtained from kinetic model calculations, which revealed two parallel and competing pathways leading to assemblies with opposite helicity. These insights prompt us to use a chiral tartaric acid as an auxiliary to change the thermodynamic preference of the assembly process. We find that we can force aggregation completely down the kinetically favoured pathway so that, on removal of the auxiliary, we obtain only metastable assemblies.
Stimuli-responsive liquid crystal elastomers with molecular orientation coupled to rubber-like elasticity show a great potential as elements in soft robotics, sensing, and transport systems. The ...orientational order defines their mechanical response to external stimuli, such as thermally activated muscle-like contraction. Here we demonstrate a dynamic thermal control of the surface topography of an elastomer prepared as a coating with a pattern of in-plane molecular orientation. The inscribed pattern determines whether the coating develops elevations, depressions, or in-plane deformations when the temperature changes. The deterministic dependence of the out-of-plane dynamic profile on the in-plane orientation is explained by activation forces. These forces are caused by stretching-contraction of the polymer networks and by spatially varying molecular orientation. The activation force concept brings the responsive liquid crystal elastomers into the domain of active matter. The demonstrated relationship can be used to design coatings with functionalities that mimic biological tissues such as skin.
The thin‐film directed self‐assembly of molecular building blocks into oriented nanostructure arrays enables next‐generation lithography at the sub‐5 nm scale. Currently, the fabrication of inorganic ...arrays from molecular building blocks is restricted by the limited long‐range order and orientation of the materials, as well as suitable methodologies for creating lithographic templates at sub‐5 nm dimensions. In recent years, higher‐order liquid crystals have emerged as functional thin films for organic electronics, nanoporous membranes, and templated synthesis, which provide opportunities for their use as lithographic templates. By choosing examples from these fields, recent progress toward the design of molecular building blocks is highlighted, with an emphasis on liquid crystals, to access sub‐5 nm features, their directed self‐assembly into oriented thin films, and, importantly, the fabrication of inorganic arrays. Finally, future challenges regarding sub‐5 nm patterning with liquid crystals are discussed.
Emerging approaches to sub‐5 nm patterning with molecular building blocks are discussed, emphasizing the use of liquid‐crystalline materials to access sub‐5 nm features, their directed self‐assembly into oriented thin films, and the fabrication of inorganic arrays. Examples are chosen from the established fields of organic electronics, nanoporous membranes, and templated synthesis, each of which provides opportunities for nanolithography.
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