Premium
Light‐Controlled Actuation, Transduction, and Modulation of Magnetic Strength in Polymer Nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Haberl Johannes M.,
SánchezFerrer Antoni,
Mihut Adriana M.,
Dietsch Hervé,
Hirt Ann M.,
Mezzenga Raffaele
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201304218
Subject(s) - materials science , actuator , smart material , ferrimagnetism , transducer , elastomer , signal (programming language) , modulation (music) , nanocomposite , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , acoustics , composite material , computer science , magnetization , magnetic field , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , programming language
Remotely controlled actuation with wireless sensorial feed‐back is desirable for smart materials to obtain fully computer‐controlled actuators. A light‐controllable polymeric material is presented, in which exposure to light couples with a change in magnetic properties, allowing light signal conversion into non‐volatile magnetic memory. The same material can serve, additionally, both as actuator and transducer, and allows the monitoring of its two‐way elastic shape‐changes by magnetic read‐out. In order to tune the macroscopic magnetic properties of the material, both the reorientation of i) shape anisotropic ferrimagnetic nano‐spindles and ii) a mechanically and magnetically coupled liquid‐crystalline elastomer (LCE) matrix are controlled. These materials are envisioned to have great potential for the development of innovative functional objects, for example, computer‐controlled smart clothing, sensors, signal encoding, micro‐valves, and robotic devices.