Novel ink for ambient condition printing of liquid crystal elastomers for 4D printing

• Published in: Smart materials and structures Vol. 27; no. 12; pp. 125011 - 125021
• Main Authors: Roach, Devin J, Kuang, Xiao, Yuan, Chao, Chen, Kaijuan, Qi, H Jerry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 13.11.2018
• Subjects: 3D printing; 4D printing; active structures; liquid crystal elastomer; soft robotics

Structures capable of reversible shape changes directly after 3D printing are highly desirable for myriad of applications ranging from soft robotics to implantable medical devices. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) have been studied for their large, reversible mechanical actuations in response to tem...