Logarithmic and Archimedean organic crystalline spirals

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 9025 - 11
• Main Authors: Yang, Xuesong, Lan, Linfeng, Tahir, Ibrahim, Alhaddad, Zainab, Di, Qi, Li, Liang, Tang, Baolei, Naumov, Panče, Zhang, Hongyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 18.10.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/301/1005/1006; 639/638/298/923/3931; 639/638/541/961; Actuators; Chemical Sciences; Crystal growth; Crystal pulling; Crystallization; Crystals; External stimuli; Fibers; Flexible components; Helices; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humidity; Kinematics; Logarithms; Morphology; multidisciplinary; Organic crystals; Polymer blends; Polymers; Robots; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensors; Soft robotics; Spirals; Organic molecules in materials science; Actuators; Crystal engineering

Crystals can be found in many shapes but do not usually grow as spirals. Here we show that applying a non-uniform layer of a polymer blend onto slender centimeter-size organic crystals prestrains the crystals into hybrid dynamic elements with spiral shapes that respond reversibly to environmental va...