Microchemomechanical Systems

The development of microchemomechanical systems (MCMS) as an analogy to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is reviewed, with the distinction that the mechanical actuation of microscale structures is effected by chemical cues as opposed to electricity. The intellectual motivation to pursue MCMS, or the creation of integrated chemical-stimuli-responsive devices, is that such structures are widely observed in nature. From a practical standpoint, since chemicals can readily diffuse and produce changes over large distances, this approach is especially attractive in enabling wireless and autonomous devices at small size scales.