application in micro- and even nanoscales. So far, the microarrayed CLCP films,
the inverse opal CLCP films, the cilia-like microactuators, and the microwalkers
have been developed based on the replica molding, inject printing technique, and
laser writing systems. In addition, the size of the photo-driven actuators has been
successfully reduced to nanoscale by colloidal lithography technique. These make
it advantageous to use photo-driven CLCP actuators in a wide range of potential
application fields such as microfluid systems, micro-optomechanical systems
(MOMS), and optical devices.
However, further efforts are still needed to make them of value in real-life
applications. For instance, the improvement of the energy conversion efficiency,
fatigue resistance, and strength and the continuous production of CLCPs remain
challenges for researchers. In addition, there is an urgent need to integrate the
CLCPs into functional and sophisticated devices with other materials because of
the difficulty of the photoresponsive CLCPs to serve as the whole smart devices in
real applications.
References
Camacho-Lopez M, Finkelmann H, Palffy-Muhoray P, Shelley M (2004) Fast liquid-crystal
elastomer swims into the dark. Nat Mater 3:307–310
Chen ML, Xing X, Liu Z, Zhu YT, Liu H, Yu YL, Cheng FT (2010) Photodeformable polymer material:
towards light-driven micropump applications. Appl Phys A Mater Sci Process 100:39–43
Chen ML, Huang HT, Zhu YT, Liu Z, Xing X, Cheng FT, Yu YL (2011) Photodeformable CLCP
material: study on photo-activated microvalve applications. Appl Phys A Mater Sci Process
102:667–672
Cheng FT, Yin RY, Zhang YY, Yen CC, Yu YL (2010a) Fully plastic microrobots which manipulate
objects using only visible light. Soft Matter 6:3447–3449
Cheng FT, Zhang YY, Yin RY, Yu YL (2010b) Visible light induced bending and unbending
behavior of crosslinked liquid-crystalline polymer films containing azotolane moieties.
J Mater Chem 20:4888–4896
De Gennes PG (1975) One type of nematic polymers. Cr Acad Sci B Phys 281:101–103
de Haan LT, Sanchez-Somolinos C, Bastiaansen CMW, Schenning APHJ, Broer DJ (2012)
Engineering of complex order and the macroscopic deformation of liquid crystal polymer
networks. Angew Chem Int Ed 51:12469–12472
Finkelmann H, Nishikawa E, Pereira GG, Warner M (2001) A new opto-mechanical effect in solids.
Phys Rev Lett 87:015501
Harris KD, Cuypers R, Scheibe P, van Oosten CL, Bastiaansen CWM, Lub J, Broer DJ (2005)
Large amplitude light-induced motion in high elastic modulus polymer actuators. J Mater Chem
15:5043–5048
Iamsaard S, Asshoff SJ, Matt B, Kudernac T, Cornelissen JJLM, Fletcher SP, Katsonis N (2014)
Conversion of light into macroscopic helical motion. Nat Chem 6:229–235
Ikeda T (2003) Photomodulation of liquid crystal orientations for photonic applications. J Mater
Chem 13:2037–2057
Ikeda T, Nakano M, Yu YL, Tsutsumi O, Kanazawa A (2003) Anisotropic bending and unbending
behavior of azobenzene liquid-crystalline gels by light exposure. Adv Mater 15:201–205
388
L. Qin et al.
the inverse opal CLCP films, the cilia-like microactuators, and the microwalkers
have been developed based on the replica molding, inject printing technique, and
laser writing systems. In addition, the size of the photo-driven actuators has been
successfully reduced to nanoscale by colloidal lithography technique. These make
it advantageous to use photo-driven CLCP actuators in a wide range of potential
application fields such as microfluid systems, micro-optomechanical systems
(MOMS), and optical devices.
However, further efforts are still needed to make them of value in real-life
applications. For instance, the improvement of the energy conversion efficiency,
fatigue resistance, and strength and the continuous production of CLCPs remain
challenges for researchers. In addition, there is an urgent need to integrate the
CLCPs into functional and sophisticated devices with other materials because of
the difficulty of the photoresponsive CLCPs to serve as the whole smart devices in
real applications.
References
Camacho-Lopez M, Finkelmann H, Palffy-Muhoray P, Shelley M (2004) Fast liquid-crystal
elastomer swims into the dark. Nat Mater 3:307–310
Chen ML, Xing X, Liu Z, Zhu YT, Liu H, Yu YL, Cheng FT (2010) Photodeformable polymer material:
towards light-driven micropump applications. Appl Phys A Mater Sci Process 100:39–43
Chen ML, Huang HT, Zhu YT, Liu Z, Xing X, Cheng FT, Yu YL (2011) Photodeformable CLCP
material: study on photo-activated microvalve applications. Appl Phys A Mater Sci Process
102:667–672
Cheng FT, Yin RY, Zhang YY, Yen CC, Yu YL (2010a) Fully plastic microrobots which manipulate
objects using only visible light. Soft Matter 6:3447–3449
Cheng FT, Zhang YY, Yin RY, Yu YL (2010b) Visible light induced bending and unbending
behavior of crosslinked liquid-crystalline polymer films containing azotolane moieties.
J Mater Chem 20:4888–4896
De Gennes PG (1975) One type of nematic polymers. Cr Acad Sci B Phys 281:101–103
de Haan LT, Sanchez-Somolinos C, Bastiaansen CMW, Schenning APHJ, Broer DJ (2012)
Engineering of complex order and the macroscopic deformation of liquid crystal polymer
networks. Angew Chem Int Ed 51:12469–12472
Finkelmann H, Nishikawa E, Pereira GG, Warner M (2001) A new opto-mechanical effect in solids.
Phys Rev Lett 87:015501
Harris KD, Cuypers R, Scheibe P, van Oosten CL, Bastiaansen CWM, Lub J, Broer DJ (2005)
Large amplitude light-induced motion in high elastic modulus polymer actuators. J Mater Chem
15:5043–5048
Iamsaard S, Asshoff SJ, Matt B, Kudernac T, Cornelissen JJLM, Fletcher SP, Katsonis N (2014)
Conversion of light into macroscopic helical motion. Nat Chem 6:229–235
Ikeda T (2003) Photomodulation of liquid crystal orientations for photonic applications. J Mater
Chem 13:2037–2057
Ikeda T, Nakano M, Yu YL, Tsutsumi O, Kanazawa A (2003) Anisotropic bending and unbending
behavior of azobenzene liquid-crystalline gels by light exposure. Adv Mater 15:201–205
388
L. Qin et al.