Micro-actuators: when artificial muscles made of nematic liquid crystal elastomers meet soft lithography.
The production, via soft lithography, of micron-sized thermoresponsive pillars made of side-on nematic LCE leads to the formation of surface-responsive structures. The individual, monodisperse pillars, when cut out from the surface, behave as micro-actuators, showing contraction of around 35% at the nematic to isotropic phase transition.
Buguin
Axel
A
Institut Curie, CNRS UMR 168, Paris, France.
Li
Min-Hui
MH
Silberzan
Pascal
P
Ladoux
Benoit
B
Keller
Patrick
P