Li Mei, Ma Yubai
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 May 12;17(10):1315. doi: 10.3390/polym17101315.
Restricted by the inherent low sensitivity of materials and complex integration technology, it is difficult for existing soft actuators (s-actuators) to simultaneously possess the advantages of flexibility, fast response, and simple manufacturing, which greatly limits their practical applications. Herein, a stretchable (ε = 200%) nanocomposite film capable of deformation and motion driven by near infrared light (NIR) was developed using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the light absorption-photothermal conversion nanonetwork, and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) as an elastic matrix featured reversible phase transition. Furthermore, s-actuators with various deformation and motion modes have been realized employing MWCNT/LCP nanocomposite film. Based on the mechanism that photothermal-effect-regulated liquid crystal-isotropic phase transition in LCP can induce macroscopic deformation of nanocomposites, MWCNT/LCP s-actuators have completed a series of complex deformation and motion tasks such as opening the knot, "V"-shape reversible deformation (30 s per cycle), the "spring" rotating and unfolding, imitating a "caterpillar" walking in a straight line (the average speed is 13 s/mm), etc. This work provides an effective strategy for the intelligent development of s-actuators.
受材料固有低灵敏度和复杂集成技术的限制，现有软驱动器（s-驱动器）难以同时具备灵活性、快速响应和制造简单的优点，这极大地限制了它们的实际应用。在此，以多壁碳纳米管（MWCNTs）作为光吸收-光热转换纳米网络，以液晶聚合物（LCP）作为具有可逆相变特性的弹性基体，制备了一种可拉伸（ε = 200%）的、能由近红外光（NIR）驱动变形和运动的纳米复合薄膜。此外，采用MWCNT/LCP纳米复合薄膜实现了具有各种变形和运动模式的s-驱动器。基于光热效应调节LCP中液晶-各向同性相变可诱导纳米复合材料宏观变形的机理，MWCNT/LCP s-驱动器完成了一系列复杂的变形和运动任务，如解开绳结、“V”形可逆变形（每周期30秒）、“弹簧”旋转展开、模仿“毛毛虫”直线行走（平均速度为13秒/毫米）等。这项工作为s-驱动器的智能发展提供了一种有效策略。
