Three-Dimensional Soft Material Micropatterning via Direct Laser Lithography of Flexible Molds.
Three-dimensionally micropatterned surfaces are attracting increasing interest in soft robotics owing to the potential of mimicking natural morphologies at the micro/nanoscale. We employ direct laser lithography to fabricate molds with complex three-dimensional (3D) micrometric features, in a positive photoresist on flexible substrates, to pattern curved macroscopic soft surfaces with shapes not achievable with standard methods (e.g., reentrant angles). We present several 3D intricate microstructures in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and show a soft cylinder patterned with 3D microstructures with one molding process. Finally, we deform PDMS-based 3D architectures and show soft microgripping capability, indicating the potentiality of this approach for future application in soft robotics.
Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.
Irene
I
Bernardeschi
Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.
Omar
O
Tricinci
Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.
Virgilio
V
Mattoli
Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.
Carlo
C
Filippeschi
Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.
Barbara
B
Mazzolai
Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.
Lucia
L
Beccai
PDMS; direct laser lithography; micromolding; soft robotics; surface patterning