Superelasticity of a photoactuating chiral crystal

Superelasticity is an elastic response to an applied external force that occurs via phase transformation. The resulting actuation of the materials is an elastic response to external stimuli, including light and heat. While ...

3D shape reconfiguration of stretchable electronics

Azobenzene functionalized liquid crystalline polymers are considered "smart" materials owing to their programmable shape transformations under various external stimuli (i.e., thermal, chemical, and photomechanical shape morphing). ...

Solvation-driven electrochemical actuation

In a new study led by Institute Professor Maurizio Porfiri at NYU Tandon, researchers showed a novel principle of actuation—to transform electrical energy into motion. This actuation mechanism is based on solvation, the ...

Graphene-based actuator swarm enables programmable deformation

Actuators that can convert various environmental stimuli to mechanical work have revealed great potential for developing smart devices such as soft robots, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and automatic lab-on-a-chip ...

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