High-Resolution 3D Direct Laser Writing for Liquid- Crystalline Elastomer Microstructures

摘要

Liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are among the best candidates for smart artificial materials, in particular for their capability to perform a reversible shape-change in response to external stimuli, e.g. temperature, electric field, or light. In particular, light-driven LCEs containing azo-dyes have been implemented in macroscopic systems like motors, inchworm walkers, hinges, and grippers. Recently, much attention is being dedicated to the miniaturization of elastomer structures, for their applications in microfluidic and robotic systems, as their opto-mechanical response would make it possible to control small systems with light. Recent examples include work on artificial cilia,fibers, surface topologies, and switchable microarrays. Going to sub-millimeter dimensions or even further, towards the true micrometer scale, calls for new fabrication technologies, capable of simple, repeatable structuring of the LCE media, both in terms of the overall shape as well as the molecular orientation within the object volume.