Rejuvenating liquid crystal elastomers for self-growth.

ABSTRACT: To date, only one polymer can self-grow to an extended length beyond its original size at room temperature without external stimuli or energy input. This breakthrough paves the way for significant advancements in untethered autonomous soft robotics, eliminating the need for the energy input or external stimuli required by all existing soft robotics systems. However, only freshly prepared samples in an initial state can self-grow, while non-fresh ones cannot. The necessity of synthesizing from monomers for each use imposes significant limitations on practical applications. Here, we propose a strategy to rejuvenate non-fresh samples to their initial state for on-demand self-growth through the synergistic effects of solvents and dynamic covalent bonds during swelling. The solvent used for swe

SUBMITTER: Xu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11350169 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature