4D printing of Thermotropic and Hygroscopic Liquid Crystal Elastomers: Dual-Morphing from A Single Shape
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초록
내용
Herein, we present 4D printable dual-responsive liquid crystal elastomer (d-LCEs) that can respond to both humidity and heat. The humidity-responsive properties are introduced by activating one of the dimethylamino-functionalized d-LCE surfaces with an acidic solution, which provides asymmetric hydrophilicity to the d-LCE, whereas the thermal actuation is driven by the inherent order-disorder transition of LC phase. The composition of d-LCE is adjusted to achieve sufficiently low actuation temperature at around 50-60 oC. Importantly, d-LCE can be prepared by extrusion-based 3D printing, enabling the creation of various custom-designed structures. These structures can display distinct responsive behaviors when exposed to heat or humidity, allowing for a dual morphing mode from a single printed shape. The multi-stimuli-responsive properties of our LCEs can expand their potential applications in smart actuators, sensors and robotics.