Visible Light‐Driven Soft Actuator Exhibiting Multistage Shape Morphing

Abstract

Abstract Traditional soft robots, while praised for their flexibility and biocompatibility, often face challenges with complex motion and adaptability. In this work, a visible light‐driven liquid crystalline network (LCN) film with a multistage photo‐responsive behavior is judiciously designed and prepared. By integrating donor‐acceptor stenhouse adducts (DASAs) into LCN matrix, it is found that the DASA exhibits polymerization temperature‐dependent isomerization, indicating an opportunity to fabricate complex photo‐driven soft actuators and devices by simply adjusting the polymerization conditions. By carefully controlling the polymerization temperature of LC/DASA precursor, the photo‐induced color change as well as the photothermal effect of LCN film can be finely controlled with spatial precision so that the prepared DASA‐LCN film presents multistage color changes and shape morphing under a constant visible light field. Finally, a soft actuator with time‐resolved light‐responsive deformations is achieved. This advancement demonstrates a straightforward method to prepare self‐adaptive light‐driven LCN devices without tedious synthesis, paving the way for soft robots that are not only reconfigurable but also inherently adaptive.