Light-Driven Dynamic Adhesion on Photosensitized Nematic Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

Biomimetic Adhesion/Detachment Using Layered Polymers with Light-Induced Rapid Shape Changes

Geckos achieve rapid and efficient adhesion and detachment on various surfaces within milliseconds due to the hierarchically structured fibrillar architecture of their toe pads. Extensive research has focused on developing adhesive materials that mimic these micro-nano structures. However, no conventional adhesives have matched the performance of their natural counterparts, which are both non-degrading and self-cleaning. Here, we develop a chemically crosslinked polymer film with a nanoscale layered structure that exhibits high-speed switching of mechanical motions (expansion and contraction) in equation both forward and reverse directions through controlled ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Under UV light on/off switching, the film shows reversable shape changes in the direction perpendicular to the molecular alignment. These photoresponsive molecular movements in the film is demonstrated for remote control in a smart adhesion system with rapid responsiveness and high reproducibility. The films respond to UV light to release picked-up objects and immediately regain their adhesion when the UV light ceases. Additionally, we propose the working principles and mechanisms of these reusable adhesive films, providing new insights into the development of smart soft materials. The material's rapid deformation, high responsiveness, and flexibility make it a promising candidate for light-controlled object transport and remote-controlled robotics.

Gecko Toe Pad-Inspired Robotic Gripper with Rapidly and Precisely Tunable Adhesion

Gecko-inspired dry adhesives have shown great potential in the field of robotics. However, there is still a large gap between current artificial adhesive-based grippers and natural geckos, especially in terms of precise and fast control of adhesion, which is an important capability for robotic gripper systems, since the targets to be gripped may vary in size and weight (including thin, fragile, soft, and deformable), and manipulation must be fast to meet high productivity requirements. Here, we propose a robotic gripper that is able to switch adhesion rapidly (in less than 0.5 s) to grasp and release objects of various sizes and weights (such as glass substrates, fragile silicon wafers, and deformable polyethylene terephthalate films) by mimicking the self-peeling behavior of gecko toe pads. The gripper retains the fast and stable manipulation of the conventional mechanical gripper, which is more reliable and has a higher load capacity than stimulus-responsive switchable adhesives. Systematic experimental and theoretical studies provide insights into the construction and analysis of the self-peeling model and mechanism to identify certain crucial parameters affecting the self-peeling behavior. Furthermore, a strategy for active adhesion control (i.e., precise adhesion modulation) is integrated by introducing a preset peeling angle θB , providing the gripper with a quantitative criterion for adjusting the adhesion strength (0 to 82.77 kPa) according to the requirements of practical applications. The gripper has great potential to be an alternative end-operating gripper for robotic systems, opening an avenue for the development of robotic manipulation.

Controlled Mesoscopic Growth of Polymeric Fibers Using Liquid Crystal Template

Orientation-controlled polymeric fiber is one of the most exciting research topics to rationalize the multifunctionality for various applications. In order to realize this goal, the growth of polymeric fibers should be controlled using various techniques like extrusion, molding, drawing, and self-assembly. Among the various candidates to fabricate the orientation-controlled polymeric fibers, the template-assisted assembly guided by a liquid crystal (LC) matrix is the most promising because the template can be manipulated easily with various methods like surface anchoring, rubbing, geometric confinement, and electric field. This review introduces the recent progress toward the directed growth of polymeric fibers using the LC template. Three representative LC-templated polymerization techniques to fabricate fibers include chemical or physical polymerization from the monomers mixed in LC matrix, patterned fibers formed from LC-templated reactive mesogens, and orientation-controlled nanofibers by infiltrating vaporized monomers between LC molecules. The orientation-controlled polymeric fibers will be used in electro-optical switching tools, tunable hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces, and control of phosphorescence, which can open a way to design, fabricate, and modulate nano- to micron-scale fibers with various functions on demand.

A review of bioinspired dry adhesives: from achieving strong adhesion to realizing switchable adhesion

In the early twenty-first century, extensive research has been conducted on geckos' ability to climb vertical walls with the advancement of microscopy technology. Unprecedented studies and developments have focused on the adhesion mechanism, structural design, preparation methods, and applications of bioinspired dry adhesives. Notably, strong adhesion that adheres to both the principles of contact splitting and stress uniform distribution has been discovered and proposed. The increasing popularity of flexible electronic skins, soft crawling robots, and smart assembly systems has made switchable adhesion properties essential for smart adhesives. These adhesives are designed to be programmable and switchable in response to external stimuli such as magnetic fields, thermal changes, electrical signals, light exposure as well as mechanical processes. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the development history of bioinspired dry adhesives from achieving strong adhesion to realizing switchable adhesion.

Directional Adhesion of Monodomain Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are widely employed in consumer goods, health care, and commercial industry. Anisotropic adhesion of PSAs is often desirable to enable high force capacity coupled with facile release and has typically been realized through the introduction of complex surface and/or bulk microstructures while also maintaining high surface conformability. Although effective, microstructure fabrication can add cost and complexity to adhesive fabrication. Here, we explore aligned liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) as directional adhesives. Aligned LCEs exhibit direction-dependent stiffness, dissipation, and nonlinear deformation under load. By varying the cross-link content, we study how the bulk mechanical properties of LCEs correlate to their peel strength and peel anisotropy. We demonstrate up to a 9-fold difference in peel force measured when the LCE is peeled parallel vs perpendicular to the alignment axis. Opportunities to spatially localize adhesion are presented in a monolithic LCE patterned with different director orientations.

Electrically active smart adhesive for a perching-and-takeoff robot

Perching-and-takeoff robot can effectively economize onboard power and achieve long endurance. However, dynamic perching on moving targets for a perching-and-takeoff robot is still challenging due to less autonomy to dynamically land, tremendous impact during landing, and weak contact adaptability to perching surfaces. Here, a self-sensing, impact-resistant, and contact-adaptable perching-and-takeoff robot based on all-in-one electrically active smart adhesives is proposed to reversibly perch on moving/static dry/wet surfaces and economize onboard energy. Thereinto, attachment structures with discrete pillars have contact adaptability on different dry/wet surfaces, stable adhesion, and anti-rebound; sandwich-like artificial muscles lower weight, enhance damping, simplify control, and achieve fast adhesion switching (on-off ratio approaching ∞ in several seconds); and the flexible pressure (0.204% per kilopascal)-and-deformation (force resolution, <2.5 millinewton) sensor enables the robot's autonomy. Thus, the perching-and-takeoff robot equipped with electrically active smart adhesives exhibits tremendous advantages of soft materials over their rigid counterparts and promising application prospect of dynamic perching on moving targets.

Active Textile Fabrics from Weaving Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Filaments

Active fabrics, responding autonomously to environmental changes, are the "Holy Grail" of the development of smart textiles. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) promise to be the base materials for large-stroke reversible actuation. The mechanical behavior of LCEs matches almost exactly the human muscle. Yet, it has not been possible to produce filaments from LCEs that will be suitable for standard textile production methods, such as weaving. Based on the recent development of LCE fibers, here, the crafting of active fabrics incorporating LCE yarn, woven on a standard loom, giving control over the weave density and structure, is presented. Two types of LCE yarns (soft and stiff) and their incorporation into several weaving patterns are tested, and the "champions" identified: the twill pattern with stiffer LCE yarn that shows the greatest blocking force of 1-2 N cm^-1 , and the weft rib pattern with over 10% reversible actuation strain on repeated heating cycles. Reversible 3D shape changes of active fabric utilize the circular weaving patterns that lead to cone shapes upon heating. The seamless combination of active LCE yarns into the rich portfolio of existing passive yarns can be transformative in creating new stimuli-responsive actuating textiles.

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers Based on Click Chemistry

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) have emerged as an important class of functional materials that are suitable for a wide range of applications, such as sensors, actuators, and soft robotics. The unique properties of LCEs originate from the combination between liquid crystal and elastomeric network. The control of macroscopic liquid crystalline orientation and network structure is crucial to realizing the useful functionalities of LCEs. A variety of chemistries have been developed to fabricate LCEs, including hydrosilylation, free radical polymerization of acrylate, and polyaddition of epoxy and carboxylic acid. Over the past few years, the use of click chemistry has become a more robust and energy-efficient way to construct LCEs with desired structures. This article provides an overview of emerging LCEs based on click chemistries, including aza-Michael addition between amine and acrylate, radical-mediated thiol-ene and thiol-yne reactions, base-catalyzed thiol-acrylate and thiol-epoxy reactions, copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, and Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The similarities and differences of these reactions are discussed, with particular attention focused on the strengths and limitations of each reaction for the preparation of LCEs with controlled structures and orientations. The compatibility of these reactions with the traditional and emerging processing techniques, such as surface alignment and additive manufacturing, are surveyed. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of using click chemistry for the design of LCEs with advanced functionalities and applications are discussed.

Smart Adhesives via Magnetic Actuation

Smart adhesives possess a wide range of applications owing to their reversibly and repeatedly switchable adhesion in transfer technology. Despite recent advances, it still remains a technical and scientific challenge to achieve strategies for rapidly tunable adhesion in a noncontact manner. In this study, a smart adhesive to achieve dynamically tunable adhesion is developed. Specifically, a mushroom-shaped adhesive with a magnetized tip is actuated to reversibly and rapidly transform the morphology via magnetic actuation. The smart adhesive has two working modes, namely, selective pickup mode and pick-and-place mode. In the selective pickup mode, the external magnetic field is applied and the tip undergoes bending deformation. Changes in tip morphology allow for a reversible switch of the adhesion between "turn on" and "turn off." In the pick-and-place mode, the external magnetic field is applied when the target object needs to be released. Upward bending deformation of the micro-beam, a part of the tip, creates an initial crack at the edge of the adhesion interface. The propagation of the edge crack modulates the adhesion from strong to weak and the target object is instantly released. The proposed smart adhesive may be of interest for practical applications demanding highly precise and swiftly controlled movements.

Effects of photo-isomerizable side groups on the phase and mechanical properties of main-chain nematic elastomers

A series of main-chain nematic liquid crystal elastomers containing various photo-isomerizable side groups branching from the main chain were synthesized. The effects of the side groups on the thermal phase and mechanical properties were explored.

Bio-based and bio-inspired adhesives from animals and plants for biomedical applications

With the "many-headed" slime mold Physarum polycelphalum having been voted the unicellular organism of the year 2021 by the German Society of Protozoology, we are reminded that a large part of nature's huge variety of life forms is easily overlooked - both by the general public and researchers alike. Indeed, whereas several animals such as mussels or spiders have already inspired many scientists to create novel materials with glue-like properties, there is much more to discover in the flora and fauna. Here, we provide an overview of naturally occurring slimy substances with adhesive properties and categorize them in terms of the main chemical motifs that convey their stickiness, i.e., carbohydrate-, protein-, and glycoprotein-based biological glues. Furthermore, we highlight selected recent developments in the area of material design and functionalization that aim at making use of such biological compounds for novel applications in medicine - either by conjugating adhesive motifs found in nature to biological or synthetic macromolecules or by synthetically creating (multi-)functional materials, which combine adhesive properties with additional, problem-specific (and sometimes tunable) features.

Photoresponsive, switchable, pressure-sensitive adhesives: influence of UV intensity and hydrocarbon chain length of low molecular weight azobenzene compounds

Unlike traditional adhesives with a fixed adhesive force, switchable adhesives, which have an adhesive force that can be adjusted by external stimuli, are specifically designed to be released according to user demand, or to enable the transfer of fine electronic devices. Previously developed switchable adhesives have limitations such as a slow switching rate, narrow adhesion modulation range, or the lack of reusability. Thus, we fabricated switchable pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) that can overcome these limitations. The adhesive force of each switchable PSA, which comprises an azobenzene-containing acrylic polymer and low molecular weight compounds, was designed to be activated/deactivated via ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation. The adhesive force and UV intensity required for the switch were found to be dependent on the aliphatic chain length of the compound. The adhesive force of the SP-C10, i.e., a switchable PSA containing a azobenzene compound with an aliphatic chain of 10 hydrocarbons, increased to 3.5 N from nearly zero in response to only 30 s of low-level (25 mW cm⁻²) UV irradiation. Additionally, SP-C10 did not lose its adhesive force even after 30 cycles of repeated adhesion switching. The mechanism of adhesion switching influenced by UV intensity and the structure of low molecular weight azobenzene compounds are also reported.

A photoresponsive switchable pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) was fabricated with an azobenzene-containing polymer and low molecular weight compounds. Its adhesion force was activated/deactivated rapidly by UV/visible light irradiation.

Tunable Photoresponsive Behaviors Based on Triphenylamine Derivatives: The Pivotal Role of π-Conjugated Structure and Corresponding Application

Photoresponsive materials have drawn much attention and are widely applied in daily life for their reversible changes in luminous color or appearance color under light irradiation. In this work, a new photoresponsive system based on triarylamine derivatives is developed. With the changed aryl substituents, adjustable photoresponsive properties, including photoactivated phosphorescence and photochromism after being dispersed into the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix, are demonstrated. According to the theoretical calculations and experimental data, the competition between the formations of triplet excitons and cationic radicals under photoirradiation should be the main reason for their different photoresponsive properties. Excitingly, the applications of rewritable photopatterning, anticounterfeiting, information encryption, and decryption are realized conveniently, in addition to the successful model of sunglasses to protect eyes away from ultraviolet radiation and strong light in the sunlight. These studies present a simple and efficient design strategy for the development of photoresponsive materials on modulating the phosphorescence and photochromic property.

Rapid Photoresponsive Switchable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Containing Azobenzene for the Mini-Light Emitting Diode Transfer Process

Materials that can switch adhesive properties based on external stimuli are required in several industries for temporary bonding or transfer processes. Previously studied materials achieve this under restricted conditions (hydration, heat, and long switching times), and some materials have limitations related to reuse because of irreversible reactions or residue formation on substrates. Herein, a rapid photoresponsive switchable pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) fabricated using an acrylic polymer and an aliphatic monomer containing azobenzene is reported. The adhesion force of the proposed PSA can be switched by photoisomerizing the azobenzene moiety. The process induces the transition of surface energy and modulus of the PSA. Ultraviolet and visible light irradiation can switch the probe tack force from 200 to 4 kPa within 15-30 s. Adhesion switching is possible in a state wherein the PSA remains adhered to a substrate. Mini-LEDs are selectively transferred from the carrier PSA to a polydimethylsiloxane substrate following the process of partial adhesion switching of the PSA. The novel and switchable PSA, which exhibits a selective and repeatable adhesion switching property and high switching ratio when stimulated by light stimuli, may be potentially used to realize the mini-LED or micro-LED transfer processes.

Internal constraints and arrested relaxation in main-chain nematic elastomers

Nematic liquid crystal elastomers (N-LCE) exhibit intriguing mechanical properties, such as reversible actuation and soft elasticity, which manifests as a wide plateau of low nearly-constant stress upon stretching. N-LCE also have a characteristically slow stress relaxation, which sometimes prevents their shape recovery. To understand how the inherent nematic order retards and arrests the equilibration, here we examine hysteretic stress-strain characteristics in a series of specifically designed main-chain N-LCE, investigating both macroscopic mechanical properties and the microscopic nematic director distribution under applied strains. The hysteretic features are attributed to the dynamics of thermodynamically unfavoured hairpins, the sharp folds on anisotropic polymer strands, the creation and transition of which are restricted by the nematic order. These findings provide a new avenue for tuning the hysteretic nature of N-LCE at both macro- and microscopic levels via different designs of polymer networks, toward materials with highly nonlinear mechanical properties and shape-memory applications.