Remotely Controlled, Reversible, On-Demand Assembly and Reconfiguration of 3D Mesostructures via Liquid Crystal Elastomer Platforms

Three-dimensional (3D) mesostructures are gaining rapidly growing interest due to their potential applications in a broad range of areas. Despite intensive studies, remotely controlled, reversible, on-demand assembly and reconfiguration of 3D mesostructures, which are desired for many applications, including robotics, minimally invasive biomedical devices, and deployable systems, remain a challenge. Here, we introduce a facile strategy to utilize liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), a soft polymer capable of large, reversible shape changes, as a platform for reversible assembly and programming of 3D mesostructures via compressive buckling of two-dimensional (2D) precursors in a remote and on-demand fashion. The highly stretchable, reversible shape-switching behavior of the LCE substrate, resulting from the soft elasticity of the material and the reversible nematic-isotropic transition of liquid crystal (LC) molecules upon remote thermal stimuli, provides deterministic thermal-mechanical control over the reversible assembly and reconfiguration processes. Demonstrations include experimental results and finite element simulations of 3D mesostructures with diverse geometries and material compositions, showing the versatility and reliability of the approach. Furthermore, a reconfigurable light-emitting system is assembled and morphed between its on and off status via the LCE platform. These results provide many exciting opportunities for areas from remotely programmable 3D mesostructures to tunable electronic systems.

Automated summary

The study introduces a simple strategy using liquid crystal elastomers as a platform for reversible assembly and programming of 3D mesostructures. The highly stretchable, reversible shape-switching behavior of the LCE substrate, controlled by remote thermal stimuli, provides deterministic control over the assembly and reconfiguration processes of 3D mesostructures. Experimental results and finite element simulations demonstrate the versatility and reliability of this approach.