Multiresponsive polymeric microstructures with encoded predetermined and self-regulated deformability.

ABSTRACT: Dynamic functions of biological organisms often rely on arrays of actively deformable microstructures undergoing a nearly unlimited repertoire of predetermined and self-regulated reconfigurations and motions, most of which are difficult or not yet possible to achieve in synthetic systems. Here, we introduce stimuli-responsive microstructures based on liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) that display a broad range of hierarchical, even mechanically unfavored deformation behaviors. By polymerizing molded prepolymer in patterned magnetic fields, we encode any desired uniform mesogen orientation into the resulting LCE microstructures, which is then read out upon heating above the nematic-isotropic transition temperature (T_N-I) as a specific prescribed deformation, such as twisting,

SUBMITTER: Yao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6304948 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature