Fast Light‐Responsive Actuator With High‐Strength Self‐Healing Properties

ABSTRACT Stimulus‐responsive materials are of great importance in the development of flexible robotics, among which light‐responsive actuators have become a research hotspot due to their advantages of non‐contact stimulation and remotely controllable. However, the traditional light‐responsive actuator has a slow response rate and insufficient mechanical strength and service life, which seriously limits the application range of the material. In this study, a fast light‐driven high‐strength self‐healing actuator was prepared by structural design using 4,4′‐methylenebis (cyclohexyl isocyanate) (HMDI), polycaprolactone diol (PCL‐2000), urethane pyrimidinone (Upy), and α‐cyanostilbene (CS) polymerized the polyurethane elastomer PU‐CS ₅₀ exhibits an excellent phototropic deformation rate (42.5°/s deformation rate). It also has excellent mechanical properties (52.6 MPa tensile strength and 1628% elongation at break) and healing capabilities (89% self‐healing efficiency). This smart material combines fast optical response, excellent mechanical properties, and efficient self‐healing capability, paving the way for the development of fast‐response optically actuated flexible robots.