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journal article Open Access Oct 20, 2023

Reprogrammable 4D Printed Liquid Crystal Elastomer Photoactuators by Means of Light‐Reversible Perylene Diimide Radicals

Lorena Montesino ORCID Jesús I. Martínez ORCID Carlos Sánchez‐Somolinos ORCID
Advanced Functional Materials Vol. 34 No. 9 · Wiley
View at Publisher Save 10.1002/adfm.202309019
Abstract
AbstractReconfigurable soft actuators can be programmed to morph into different 3D shapes under the same stimulus exhibiting great potential for adaptive robotic functionalities. Liquid crystalline crosslinked materials programmed and controlled by light have demonstrated great potential in this area, however, their implementation is mainly based on azobenzene chromophores, using ultraviolet light that can potentially damage the device and its surroundings, especially if living cells are present. Here, an ink is presented, containing a green‐absorbing perylene diimide chromophore, to prepare light active liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) actuators via direct ink writing. Green light irradiation of the LCE elements leads to photothermal actuation, but also to new absorption bands in the far‐red and near‐infrared, ascribed to the formation of radical species. Far‐red irradiation results in mechanical actuation and, advantageously, a recovery of the original absorption spectrum. This reversible transformation enables spatial reconfigurability of the actuator's response to far‐red light. The reconfigurable system gives access to complex deformation modes by simply exciting the element with homogeneous far‐red light, without the need for any structural modification of the actuator. This material strategy, using green and far‐red light, less harmful than ultraviolet, shows significant promise for future development of reconfigurable actuators for biomedical applications.
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Details
Published
Oct 20, 2023
Vol/Issue
34(9)
License
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Authors
L
Lorena Montesino

Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA) Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada CSIC‐Universidad de Zaragoza Zaragoza 50009 Spain

J
Jesús I. Martínez

Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA) Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada CSIC‐Universidad de Zaragoza Zaragoza 50009 Spain

C
Carlos Sánchez‐Somolinos

Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA) Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada CSIC‐Universidad de Zaragoza Zaragoza 50009 Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería Biomateriales y Nanomedicina Instituto de Salud Carlos III Zaragoza 50018 Spain

Funding
European Social Fund Award: E15_20R
H2020 Future and Emerging Technologies Award: 829010
Gobierno de Aragón Award: LMP221_21
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina Award: CB06/01/00263
MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN Award: PID2020‐118485RB‐I00
Cite This Article
Lorena Montesino, Jesús I. Martínez, Carlos Sánchez‐Somolinos (2023). Reprogrammable 4D Printed Liquid Crystal Elastomer Photoactuators by Means of Light‐Reversible Perylene Diimide Radicals. Advanced Functional Materials, 34(9). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202309019
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