To obtain liquid crystal elastomer with shape-programmable ability and improve its application potential in soft actuators and soft robots,this work reports a light driven soft actuator based on liquid metal(LM)-liquid crystal elastomer(LCE).The soft actuator is fabricated by 4D printing technology,which endows the actuator robust shape-programmable capability.LM was dispersed in ethanol by sonication,then LM micro-particles were mixed into the liquid crystal solution to obtain uniform LM-LCE ink.Using 4D printing technique,the soft actuator with specific deformation was eventually obtained by further programming the orientation of ink.The alternating orthogonal and conical array LM-LCE soft actuators were created via 4D printing.The actuator has good photothermal performance,when exposed to 808 nm infrared laser,its surface temperature can reach above 120 ℃ in about 10 s.According to the superior photothermal performance,the alternating orthogonal structure actuator is capable of producing bending deformation quickly,while the conical array structure actuator can produce a convex deformation with the spiral center as the vertex.Based on 4D printing technology,the LM-LCE light-driven soft actuator has robust shape-programmable capability,demonstrating better adaptability and adjustability in dynamic and complex environments,and is anticipated to be extensively used in the fields of medical treatment,military,and soft robot.
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