title: Soft Microrobots Employing Nonequilibrium Actuation via Plasmonic Heating.
abstract: A soft microrobot composed of a microgel and driven by the light-controlled nonequilibrium dynamics of volume changes is presented. The photothermal response of the microgel, containing plasmonic gold nanorods, enables fast heating/cooling dynamics. Mastering the nonequilibrium response provides control of the complex motion, which goes beyond what has been so far reported for hydrophilic microgels.
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeck str. 50, D-52056, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mourran
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeck str. 50, D-52056, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeck str. 50, D-52056, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Rostislav
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vinokur
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeck str. 50, D-52056, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Möller
keywords: gold nanorods; microgels; microswimmers; photo-thermo-mechanical actuators; thermoplasmonic