Magnetically‐Programmed Instability‐Driven Pattern Transformations in Soft Materials

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 34; no. 36
• Main Authors: Arora, Nitesh, Chen, Vincent, Cherkasov, Andrei, Xiang, Yuhai, Juhl, Abigail, Buskohl, Philip, Rudykh, Stephan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Configurations; Defects; Field strength; Inclusions; instability; pattern transformations; soft magnetic materials; soft materials; Stability; Transformations (mathematics); transformative materials
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202401077

A class of transformable materials is introduced with magnetic defect‐defined switchable configurations. The soft material can be magnetically‐programmed to transform into various encoded patterns utilizing the rich interplay of magnetic interactions and instability phenomenon. The strategy allows us to break the limit of admissible configurations of the instability‐induced patterns that dictate the post‐transformation behavior. The phenomenon is experimentally realized in a material system consisting of periodically distributed magnetic inclusions in a soft matrix. The programmable magnetic interactions between the inclusions act as smart defects redirecting the material transformations to targeted geometric configurations. Moreover, the role of magnetic spacing and field strength is systematically investigated to map the transition between mechanically‐dominant and magnetics‐dominant instability patterns. Lastly, the idea of reconfigurable material design is showcased by embedding binary information in magnetic form, which can be read out through the unique repositioning of inclusions via the applied mechanical deformation. This article introduces a novel design framework for attaining desired structural transformations in architected materials, which is central to embodying machine‐like functionalities for various applications such as soft robotics, wearable technologies, and mechanical computers. The framework utilizes magnetic encoding to generate programmed deformation fields within the soft material. The magnetic interactions offer high programmability and enable pixel‐level control over the reconfigurability of architected materials.