Programmable Light‐Driven Liquid Crystal Elastomer Kirigami with Controlled Molecular Orientations

Programmable soft materials have shown applications in artificial muscles, robotics, flexible electronics, and biomedicines due to their adaptive structural transformations. As an ordered material, directional shape changes of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) can be easily achieved via external stimuli thanks its anisotropic elasticity. However, harnessing the interplay between molecular ordering, geometry, morphing this material create programmable complex remains a challenge. Here, by integrating concepts kirigami or Chinese paper cutting “JianZhi” light-actuated LCE encoded with controlled orientations, various 3D behaviors are demonstrated. Versatile combinations fundamental such as bending, folding, twisting, rolling enabled fine-tuning orientations geometries monolithic kirigami. Furthermore, functions fluttering crane bird “QianZhiHe,” arbitrary locomotion annulus linear character also realized. These complex, fast-response, untethered, remote, reversible, morphologies actuated monolith will open opportunities robotics smart materials.