Solvent‐Assisted Preparation of Recyclable Multidimensional Fluorescent Actuators
Abstract
ABSTRACT Light‐responsive elastic crystals and polymers are widely used in the fabrication of smart actuators. However, crystal morphology, which is strongly dependent on the molecular self‐assembly, remains difficult to control, while the performance of polymers is significantly affected by their components, limiting their practical applications. To balance the advantages of crystal‐ and polymer‐based materials, in this study, solvent molecules were doped into small‐molecule photosensitive materials ( E ‐ BI ‐ TPA ‐ CS ) to weaken the intermolecular interactions and enable the precise, facile, and fast preparation of flexible multidimensional photoactuators through simple artificial manipulations such as stretching. The as‐prepared actuator combines the high energy density of crystalline materials with the tailorable properties of polymers. Upon UV or visible light irradiation, E ‐ BI ‐ TPA ‐ CS undergoes E ‐ Z isomerization, driving actuator deformation. The reversible isomerization and simple fabrication process make the actuators recyclable. Additionally, these photoresponsive materials can adhere to metal surfaces to facilitate the construction of photoswitches without complex operations, such as metal deposition. Furthermore, the introduction of the aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) unit enables visual tracking of the actuation process. This resin‐like material offers a new perspective on multifunctional materials by effectively bridging the gap between crystalline and polymeric systems, optimizing the preparation of actuators, and improving their performance.
Article Details
Authors (13)
Cheng Liu
Shengyi Yang
Department of Chemistry and the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Kowloon China
Xinwen Ou
Department of Chemistry, the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
Weijian Li
Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University
Jin Wang
Fei Wang
Xuedong Xiao
Department of Chemistry, and the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction
Herman H.‐Y. Sung
Department of Chemistry and the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Kowloon China
Ian D. Williams
Department of Chemistry
Haoran Wang
New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Preparation Technology of Nanomaterials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Ryan T. K. Kwok
Department of Chemistry, the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
Jacky W. Y. Lam
Department of Chemistry, the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
Ben Zhong Tang
School of Science and Engineering, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Aggregate Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Longgang, Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China