Local switching of chemical patterns through light-triggered unfolding of creased hydrogel surfaces.
Visible light induces switching of surface chemical patterns based on hybrid gels of thermally responsive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) copolymer networks containing iron oxide nanoparticles. The swelling of these hybrid gels is reduced upon illumination (see picture), allowing controlled unfolding of creased features formed owing to an elastic surface instability.
Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Jinhwan
J
Yoon
Pei
P
Bian
Jungwook
J
Kim
Thomas J
TJ
McCarthy
Ryan C
RC
Hayward