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Smart Actuators: Liquid Crystal Elastomer‐Based Magnetic Composite Films for Reconfigurable Shape‐Morphing Soft Miniature Machines (Adv. Mater. 8/2021)
Author(s) -
Zhang Jiachen,
Guo Yubing,
Hu Wenqi,
Soon Ren Hao,
Davidson Zoey S.,
Sitti Metin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.202170054
Subject(s) - materials science , actuator , morphing , elastomer , smart material , liquid crystal , shape memory alloy , composite number , ferromagnetism , soft robotics , graphene , composite material , structural coloration , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , photonic crystal , computer science , artificial intelligence , physics , quantum mechanics
Multi‐stimuli‐responsive soft materials enable promising untethered smart actuators and sensors. In article number 2006191, Metin Sitti and co‐workers develop a hybrid liquid‐crystal elastomer with embedded ferromagnetic microparticles that responds to magnetic, thermal, and optical cues. Such a monolithic material enables reconfigurable environmentally sensitive miniature machines with physical intelligence. The patterned mesogens deform the material into 3D shapes, such as helices, upon actuation. The dual red and blue colors represent the material's magnetic responsiveness.