Liquid Crystal Polymer Actuators for Deformable Electronics and Soft Robotics

本提案旨在开发导电液晶弹性体（EC-LCE），其既可以用作机械变形和环境条件的传感器，也可以用作刺激驱动的软机器人应用的致动器。一方面，感测功能依赖于响应于变形或变化的环境（温度、湿度和UV光强度）的电阻变化，这为诸如可以感测人体运动和外部刺激的电子皮肤等应用提供了基础。另一方面，致动能力是由聚合物的液晶（有序）相变到各向同性（无序）相变时的可逆宏观形状变化引起的，这使得机器人功能和由例如光驱动的运动成为可能。在本研究计划中，我们将合成各种合理设计的EC-LCE（包括带有离子液体部分的LCE和在互连的孔道中填充离子液体或液体金属的多孔LCE），并研究其集成的传感和驱动特性。我们提出的研究计划为可变形电子材料领域和小型，环境适应性和刺激驱动的软机器人LCE领域开辟了新的方向。除了培养高素质的人才外，我们还希望在能够承受大变形并具有刺激控制流动性的导电材料方面取得重要发现和突破。

The present proposal aims to develop electrically conductive liquid crystalline elastomers (EC-LCEs) that can function both as sensor for mechanical deformations and environmental conditions and as actuator for stimuli-driven soft robotics applications. On one hand, the sensing functionality relies on electrical resistance changes in response to deformations or changing environment (temperature, humidity and UV light intensity), which provides the basis for such applications as e-skins that can sense human motions and external stimuli. On the other hand, the actuation capacity results from reversible macroscopic shape change upon liquid crystal (order) to isotropic (disorder) phase transition of the polymer, which enables robotic functions and locomotion powered by, for example, light. In this research program, we will synthesize a variety of rationally designed EC-LCEs (including LCEs bearing ionic liquid moieties and porous LCEs with ionic liquid or liquid metal filled in interconnected pore channels) and investigate their integrated sensing and actuation properties. Our proposed research program opens up a new direction for both the field of materials for deformable electronics and the field of LCEs for miniature, environment-adaptive and stimuli-driven soft robots. In addition to training highly qualified personnel, we expect important discoveries and breakthroughs on conducting materials that can sustain large deformations and have stimuli-controlled mobility.