Chen Mei, Hou Yanbei, An Ran, Qi H Jerry, Zhou Kun
Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
Adv Mater. 2024 Aug;36(34):e2303969. doi: 10.1002/adma.202303969. Epub 2023 Sep 15.
4D printing of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) via direct ink writing has opened up great opportunities to create stimuli-responsive actuations for applications such as soft robotics. However, most 4D-printed LCEs are limited to thermal actuation and fixed shape morphing, posing a challenge for achieving multiple programmable functionalities and reprogrammability. Here, a 4D-printable photochromic titanium-based nanocrystal (TiNC)/LCE composite ink is developed, which enables the reprogrammable photochromism and photoactuation of a single 4D-printed architecture. The printed TiNC/LCE composite exhibits reversible color-switching between white and black in response to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and oxygen exposure. Upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the UV-irradiated region can undergo photothermal actuation, allowing for robust grasping and weightlifting. By precisely controlling the structural design and the light irradiation, the single 4D-printed TiNC/LCE object can be globally or locally programmed, erased, and reprogrammed to achieve desirable photocontrollable color patterns and 3D structure constructions, such as barcode patterns and origami- and kirigami-inspired structures. This work provides a novel concept for designing and engineering adaptive structures with unique and tunable multifunctionalities, which have potential applications in biomimetic soft robotics, smart construction engineering, camouflage, multilevel information storage, etc.
通过直接喷墨书写对液晶弹性体(LCE)进行4D打印,为创建适用于软机器人等应用的刺激响应驱动开辟了巨大机遇。然而,大多数4D打印的LCE仅限于热驱动和固定形状变形,这对实现多种可编程功能和可重新编程性构成了挑战。在此,开发了一种可4D打印的光致变色钛基纳米晶体(TiNC)/LCE复合墨水,它能使单个4D打印结构实现可重新编程的光致变色和光驱动。打印的TiNC/LCE复合材料在紫外线(UV)照射和氧气暴露下呈现白色和黑色之间的可逆颜色切换。在近红外(NIR)照射下,紫外线照射区域可进行光热驱动,从而实现强力抓取和举重。通过精确控制结构设计和光照射,单个4D打印的TiNC/LCE物体可以进行全局或局部编程、擦除和重新编程,以实现理想的光控颜色图案和3D结构构建,如条形码图案以及受折纸和剪纸启发的结构。这项工作为设计和制造具有独特且可调多功能性的自适应结构提供了一个新颖概念,这些结构在仿生软机器人、智能建筑工程、伪装、多级信息存储等领域具有潜在应用。
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