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Liquid Crystal Networks Meet Water: It's Complicated

Soft robots are composed of compliant materials that facilitate high degrees of freedom, shape‐change adaptability, and safer interaction with humans. An attractive choice of material for soft robotics is crosslinked networks of liquid crystal polymers (LCNs), as they are responsive to a wide variet...

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Published in:Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2024-03, Vol.36 (12), p.e2303740-n/a
Main Authors: Pinchin, Natalie P., Guo, Hongshuang, Meteling, Henning, Deng, Zixuan, Priimagi, Arri, Shahsavan, Hamed
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cited_by cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c4130-273da65f5f2a762c0d99b109116ca4885c8dfa12d17d2583ee628737e95902303
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Guo, Hongshuang
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description Soft robots are composed of compliant materials that facilitate high degrees of freedom, shape‐change adaptability, and safer interaction with humans. An attractive choice of material for soft robotics is crosslinked networks of liquid crystal polymers (LCNs), as they are responsive to a wide variety of external stimuli and capable of undergoing fast, programmable, complex shape morphing, which allows for their use in a wide range of soft robotic applications. However, unlike hydrogels, another popular material in soft robotics, LCNs have limited applicability in flooded or aquatic environments. This can be attributed not only to the poor efficiency of common LCN actuation methods underwater but also to the complicated relationship between LCNs and water. In this review, the relationship between water and LCNs is elaborated and the existing body of literature is surveyed where LCNs, both hygroscopic and non‐hygroscopic, are utilized in aquatic soft robotic applications. Then the challenges LCNs face in widespread adaptation to aquatic soft robotic applications are discussed and, finally, possible paths forward for their successful use in aquatic environments are envisaged. Soft robotics is a field of research that solves the challenges facing traditional robotics through the use of compliant materials such as liquid crystal networks (LCNs). However, LCNs face limitations when interacting with water. The relationship between LCNs and water is examined, the existing body of literature on LCNs as aquatic soft robots is discussed, and possible paths forward are discussed.
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subjects Actuation
actuators
Aquatic environment
aquatic soft robots
humidity‐response
hydrogels
hygroscopic materials
liquid crystal networks
Liquid crystal polymers
Liquid crystals
Morphing
Robotics
Soft robotics
title Liquid Crystal Networks Meet Water: It's Complicated
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