Enhanced Light-Responsive Capabilities in 3D-Printed Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators by Leveraging Negative Photochromes

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are excellent material candidates for soft robotics, including sensors, actuators, and structures. 3D printing of these materials has enabled the field to move beyond thin film architectures, increasing the complexity of the form and motion generated. Furthermore, incorporation of photoresponsive molecules like azobenzene enables spatio-temporal and orthogonal control over the actuation. However, these materials interact with light only at the surface, thus restricting their practical applications to thin films. To address this challenge, we incorporate a visible light-responsive, negative photochromic molecule into 3D printed LCEs, enabling the design, fabrication, and implementation of large-scale photoresponsive soft actuators.