Collaborative work of the SPM group with groups of Prof. Hao Zeng (Tampere University) and Prof Jaakko Tiimonen (Aalto University, Finland), as well as Prof. Carlos Sánchez-Somolinos (CSIC-University of Zaragoza, Spain), demonstrates that dual-responsive LCEs that combine magnetic and photochemical actuation capabilities provide advancements in underwater actuation controllability compared to LCEs responding to a single stimulus alone. The dual responsivity is achieved by incorporating azobenzene cross-links and magnetic microparticles into the LCE. The photoresponse and magnetoresponse are first separately characterized and then combined to demonstrate underwater object manipulation and photocontrollable oscillatory cilia motions, highlighting the effectiveness of the proposed dual-modality approach. The integration of the photochemical and magnetic response in a single material allows for precise, reversible control over the LCE shape-morphing. Our study demonstrates the power of combining these two remote actuation methods in the wireless control of robotic functions in responsive soft materials. Read more in the article “Magneto-Photochemically Responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer for Underwater Actuation“
Photocontrolled oscillations of magneto-photoresponsive LCE cilia under an oscillating magnetic field