Shape-Responsive Actuator from a Single Layer of a Liquid-Crystal Polymer

Actuation of various shape changes, including bending, helical twisting, and reversible hinging, has been achieved from a single-layer sheet of poly(1,4-di(4-(3-acryloyloxypropyloxy)benzoyloxy)-2-methylbenzene) [poly(RM257)]. This actuator was developed through photopolymerization of a reactive liquid-crystal (LC) monomer (RM257) mixed with 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB, nematic LC at room temperature) in a planar polyimide-coated LC cell. The UV beam perpendicular to one side of the LC cell produced an asymmetric phase separation between the poly(RM257) network and 5CB that resulted in an asymmetric porous structure along the thickness direction when the 5CB was extracted, in which the UV-exposed surface was pore-free and compact while the opposite surface was highly porous. As a result of this structure, the dry and curled poly(RM257) film exhibits actuation behavior when placed in acetone because of a difference in swelling between the two morphologically different sides, the film UV-exposed and nonexposed sides. The actuation of a three-dimensional tetrahedron (pyramidal) structure is also demonstrated for the first time by using a simple photopatterning technique to selectively control its asymmetric morphology at specific locations.