A pH-Responsive Liquid Crystal Hydrogel Actuator with Calcium-Induced Reprogrammable Shape Fixing

Soft polymer actuators have myriad applications and therefore gained considerable attention in recent years. However, it remains challenging to prepare soft with predefined shapes. Here, a bilayer actuator (re)programmable shape is prepared from microporous anisotropic polypropylene scaffold thin, pH-responsive liquid crystalline network (LCN) layer. The hydrogen bonds between dimerized benzoic acid derivatives the LCN can be disrupted by an alkaline treatment, resulting hydrogel actuation governed both mechanical properties of cross-link density hydrogel. Ca2+ ions used chemically initial programmed shape. fixing reversed removing ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA) solution. performed locally, three-dimensional configurations choice.