Recyclable\nand Self-Repairable Fluid-Driven Liquid\nCrystal Elastomer Actuator

Abstract

Liquid\ncrystal elastomer (LCE) is a newly emerging soft actuating\nmaterial that has been extensively explored for building novel soft\nrobots and diverse active devices, thanks to its large actuation stress\nand strain, high work density, and versatile actuation modes. However,\nthere have also been several widely recognized limitations of LCE-based\nactuators for practical applications, including slow response and\nnarrow range of operation temperature. Herein, we develop fluid-driven\ndisulfide LCE actuators through facile laminate manufacturing enabled\nby a dynamic bond exchange reaction. Because of the merits of the\nactive heating/cooling mechanism of the fluidic structure, this newly\ndeveloped disulfide LCE actuator can generate large cyclic actuation\nat a frequency around 1 Hz and can operate in a wide range of temperatures.\nThe unique combination of the fluidic structure design and the dynamic\ncovalent bonds in the elastomer has also enabled the full recyclability\nand self-repairability of the actuator. Using the newly developed\nactuator as building block, we further constructed soft robotic systems\nthat can realize manipulating and programmable movement. The design\nprinciple demonstrated in the current work opens a promising avenue\nfor exploring more novel applications of LCE-based soft actuators.