Visible light responsive soft actuator based on functional anthracene dye

Light-responsive soft actuators are highly demanded due to their increasing applications in soft robotics and biomimetic devices. However, for light-driven soft actuators, it is challenging to eliminate their reliance on UV light as well as it is required to address the issue of poor mechanical strength. Here, a supramolecular strategy is used for the synthesis of a functionalized anthracene dye which absorbs light in the visible region due to red-shift in the absorption band. This photoresponsive functionalized anthracene dye, mixed in the PVA matrix, has been used as a soft actuator acting as a microgripper to grasp, pick up, and transport cargo in response to the blue light. As a new finding, a two-fold increase in the bending angle deformation was achieved which is significantly greater than any other previously reported anthracene-based visible light-responsive soft actuator. This work broadens the horizon of the natural light-responsive soft actuators which may find applications in soft robotics, biomimetic grippers, surgical instruments, etc.

Automated summary

This paper introduces a new type of light-responsive soft actuator, which utilizes a supramolecular strategy for the synthesis of a functionalized anthracene dye, and the dye is mixed with a PVA matrix to achieve blue light responsiveness. The bending angle deformation of this actuator is significantly greater than any previously reported anthracene-based visible light-responsive soft actuators.