Humidity- and Photo-Induced Mechanical Actuation of Cross-Linked Liquid Crystal Polymers

Yuyun Liu; Bo Xu; Shengtong Sun; Jia Wei; Limin Wu; Yanlei Yu

doi:10.1002/adma.201604792

Humidity- and Photo-Induced Mechanical Actuation of Cross-Linked Liquid Crystal Polymers

Adv Mater. 2017 Mar;29(9). doi: 10.1002/adma.201604792. Epub 2016 Dec 23.

Authors

Yuyun Liu¹, Bo Xu¹, Shengtong Sun², Jia Wei¹, Limin Wu¹, Yanlei Yu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China.
² School of Chemistry Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China.

PMID: 28008660
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201604792

Abstract

Azobenzene-containing cross-linked liquid crystal polymer films without hydrophilic groups exhibit dual-responsivity to humidity and UV light. The films realize not only a series of large and sophisticated contactless motions by utilizing moisture, including an inchworm walk, and tumbling locomotion, but also dual-mode actuation that can be applied in flexible electronics.

Keywords: actuators; cross-linked liquid crystal polymers; humidity-responsive; photoresponsive.