NIR Laser-Driven Reversible Volume Phase Transition of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Composite Gels

Composite polymer gels composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and CNTs exhibit a repeatable volume phase transition between shrinkage and swelling upon ON/OFF NIR laser-light irradiation. The volume change is repeatable for more than 1200 cycles, indicating that the gel has an extremely high durability. The local and transient heat via the irradiation raised the temperature at the spot area in the get through a photothermal conversion effect of the CNTs, thus inducing this volume change.