Smart Muscle-Driven Self-Cleaning of Biomimetic Microstructures from Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Hamed Shahsavan; Seyyed Muhammad Salili; Antal Jákli; Boxin Zhao

doi:10.1002/adma.201503203

Smart Muscle-Driven Self-Cleaning of Biomimetic Microstructures from Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Adv Mater. 2015 Nov 18;27(43):6828-33. doi: 10.1002/adma.201503203. Epub 2015 Sep 29.

Authors

Hamed Shahsavan^{1

2}, Seyyed Muhammad Salili², Antal Jákli², Boxin Zhao¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Institute for Polymer Research, and Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
² Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.

PMID: 26418411
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201503203

Abstract

Muscle-driven actuation of biomimetic microfibrillar structures is achieved using integrative soft-lithography on a backing splayed liquid-crystal elastomer (LCE). Variation in the backing LCE layer thickness yields different modes of thermal deformation from a pure bend to a twist-bend. Muscular motion and dynamic self-cleaning of gecko toe pads are mimicked via this mechanism.

Keywords: biomimetic materials; geckos; liquid-crystal elastomers; microstructures; self-cleaning.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomimetic Materials / chemistry*
Elastomers*
Liquid Crystals / chemistry*
Movement
Muscles / physiology*
Reptiles*

Substances

Elastomers