Bioinspired light-driven soft robots based on liquid crystal polymers

Cunha, Marina Pilz da; Debije, Michael G.; Schenning, Albert P. H. J.

doi:10.1039/d0cs00363h

Cited by 215 publications

(181 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…[136] Various bioinspired light-sensitive robots based on lightsensitive LCE, with dimensions in the millimeter-to-centimeter scale, have been described. [137,138] Approaching the micrometer scale and producing LCE-based microrobots is much less common, likely due to challenges in the material actuation at the smaller scale. Palagi et al exploited LCNs prepared by photopolymerization of acrylate-based mesogens to fabricate different swimming microrobots.…”

Section: Liquid Crystalline Polymers As Light-controlled Microrobot Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light‐Powered Microrobots: Challenges and Opportunities for Hard and Soft Responsive Microswimmers

Bunea

Martella

Nocentini

et al. 2021

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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30 ms, the helical chiral structure is reverted. Reproduced with permission. [127] Copyright 2017, The Authors, published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. C) Directional movement of an oscillating helix hydrogel-based microstructure confined between two glass surfaces. Reproduced with permission. [127] Copyright 2017, The Authors, published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. D) (Left) Superimposed images of a spiral rotor under irradiation for 0.5 s and relaxation for 0.5 s and (right) superimposition of the thresholded outline of the rotor at different times. Reproduced under the terms of the CC-BY license. [128] Copyright 2019, The Authors, published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. E) LCN-based swimmer microrobots. (Left) Schematic illustration of the bioinspired wormlike travelling wave deformation shape change occurring during homogeneous phase transition or illumination with a patterned light. (Middle, right) Optical images of a microtube displacement under travelling patterned irradiation. (Middle) Green overlays, direction according to green arrows, yellow dashed line is the reference position. (Right) Optical microscopy images of a microdisk locomotion along a square path-the travelling wave direction is indicated by the green arrows, and the disk's direction of travel to the next waypoint by the white arrows. Reproduced with permission. [134] Copyright 2016, Springer Nature.

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Section: Liquid Crystalline Polymers As Light-controlled Microrobot Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light‐Powered Microrobots: Challenges and Opportunities for Hard and Soft Responsive Microswimmers

Bunea

Martella

Nocentini

et al. 2021

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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“…Such assemblies typically contain various soft actuators of different materials in response to light stimuli with different wavelengths. [ 41,92 ] van Oosten and co‐workers used inkjet printing technology to create cilia‐like LCN actuators with two kinds of azobenzene dyes in different subunits, which were selectively addressed by various light. [ 93 ] Under exposure to 445–550 nm light (4 mW cm −2 ), the top part with visible light‐sensitive azobenzene dyes bent because of photochemical isomerization, whereas the UV light‐sensitive bottom part with the other azobenzene dye bent upon 365 nm light (9 mW cm −2 ) irradiation ( Figure a,b).…”

Section: Light‐fueled Actuatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft Actuators of Liquid Crystal Polymers Fueled by Light from Ultraviolet to Near Infrared

Qin

Liu

2021

Advanced Optical Materials

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Photodeformable liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) are a typical representative of shape‐changing systems capable of remotely converting light energy into mechanical actuation. Such smart polymeric materials combining the features of polymers and liquid crystals (LCs) are envisioned to bring new functionality and drive innovation in the fields of soft robotics, solar‐energy harvesting, and microfluidics. The photodeformable LCPs and their soft actuators fueled by light from ultraviolet to near infrared, including basic actuation as well as the primary mechanisms are focused on. The complex actuation is also highlighted with emphasis on the designed LC alignment, such as splayed, twisted, out‐plane, and patterned, which bridges the gap between the shape change and practical applications. Special attention is devoted to the progress of light‐fueled soft actuators, which are classified into different categories and comprehensively summarized in the aspects of materials, alignment, mechanisms, and light stimuli. An outlook on future challenges and limitations in the light‐fueled soft actuators are discussed at the end of this review.

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“…A variety of futuristic applications of stimuli-responsive soft robots have been proposed in the forms of flexible electronics, sensors, biomedical tools, optics, and actuators [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][24][25][26]. Furthermore, hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots combined with multi-functional nanoparticles, low-dimensional materials, or liquid crystals have also displayed promising applications in flexible electronics, mechanical sensors, smart actuators, and biomedical systems [18][19][20][21][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Section: Applications Of Hybrid Soft Robotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An extensive comprehensive discussion of stimuli-responsive soft robots has been reviewed in the forms of flexible electronics, sensors, biomedical tools, optics, and actuators [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. In general, stimuli-responsive soft robots are mainly composed of polymer, hydrogel, or hybrid of them both, which provide significantly larger swelling than their dehydrated weight due to their inherent porous nature [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Stimuli-Responsive Soft Robots with Integrated Hybrid Materials

Son

Yoon

2020

Actuators

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Hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots have been extensively developed by incorporating multi-functional materials, such as carbon-based nanoparticles, nanowires, low-dimensional materials, and liquid crystals. In addition to the general functions of conventional soft robots, hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots have displayed significantly advanced multi-mechanical, electrical, or/and optical properties accompanied with smart shape transformation in response to external stimuli, such as heat, light, and even biomaterials. This review surveys the current enhanced scientific methods to synthesize the integration of multi-functional materials within stimuli-responsive soft robots. Furthermore, this review focuses on the applications of hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots in the forms of actuators and sensors that display multi-responsive and highly sensitive properties. Finally, it highlights the current challenges of stimuli-responsive soft robots and suggests perspectives on future directions for achieving intelligent hybrid stimuli-responsive soft robots applicable in real environments.

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Bioinspired light-driven soft robots based on liquid crystal polymers

Abstract: The potential of liquid crystal polymers to undergo light-triggered shape changes makes them attractive for untethered bioinspired soft robots.

Cited by 215 publications

References 59 publications

Light‐Powered Microrobots: Challenges and Opportunities for Hard and Soft Responsive Microswimmers

Light‐Powered Microrobots: Challenges and Opportunities for Hard and Soft Responsive Microswimmers

Soft Actuators of Liquid Crystal Polymers Fueled by Light from Ultraviolet to Near Infrared

Advances in Stimuli-Responsive Soft Robots with Integrated Hybrid Materials

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