Jeong Jae Wie

Light is distinguished as a contactless energy source for microscale devices as it can be directed from remote distances, rapidly turned on or off, spatially modulated across length scales, polarized, or varied in intensity. Motivated in part by these nascent properties of light, transducing photonic stimuli into macroscopic deformation of materials systems has been examined in the last half-century. Here we report photoinduced motion (photomotility) in monolithic polymer films prepared from azo

Magnetic soft robots facilitate the battery-free remote control of soft robots. However, parallel control of multiple magnetic robots is challenging due to interference between robots and difficult maneuvers. Here we present the orbital maneuvering of manifold magnetic soft robots. Magneto-induced motion (magnetomotility) that includes the hierarchy of rotation and resultant revolution allows for the independent control of the robot's velocity and orbital radius. The soft robot achieves a speed

Three-dimensional shape control is an enabler of dexterous motion in nature. Herein, we report on the thermally initiated out-of-plane (torsional) responses observed in a series of glassy, liquid crystalline polymer networks prepared with a range of cross-link densities. The three-dimensional shape of these materials is strongly dictated by both cross-link density as well as the preparation conditions (polymerization temperature). All of the materials examined herein undergo torsional inversion

Soft materials capable of both planar and flexural–torsional responses could enable the development of soft robotic elements that emulate the dexterity and functionality of a multitude of creatures in the animal kingdom. Here, we examine the response of azobenzene-functionalized liquid crystal polymer networks (azo-LCNs) specifically focusing on realizing large magnitude flexural–torsional responses observed as out-of-plane twisting or coiling. Towards this end, azo-LCNs were prepared in either

Micro- and nanotextured surfaces with reconfigurable textures can enable advancements in the control of wetting and heat transfer, directed assembly of complex materials, and reconfigurable optics, among many applications. However, reliable and programmable directional shape in large scale is significant for prescribed applications. Herein, we demonstrate the self-directed fabrication and actuation of large-area elastomer micropillar arrays, using magnetic fields to both program a shape-directed

In recent years, jointless soft robots have demonstrated various curvilinear motions unlike conventional robotic systems requiring complex mechanical joints and electrical design principles. The materials employed to construct soft robots are mainly programmable anisotropic polymeric materials to achieve contactless manipulation of miniaturized and lightweight soft robots through their anisotropic strain responsivity to external stimuli. Although reviews on soft actuators are extensive, those on

Magnetically responsive composites can impart maneuverability to miniaturized robots. However, collective actuation of these composite robots has rarely been achieved, although conducting cooperative tasks is a promising strategy for accomplishing difficult missions with a single robot. Here, we report multimodal collective swimming of ternary-nanocomposite-based magnetic robots capable of on-demand switching between rectilinear translational swimming and rotational swimming. The nanocomposite r

Magnetically active helical soft robots were synthesized to achieve efficient tether-less manipulation of the magnetomotility in order to avoid the on-board weight penalty and the distance restrictions originating from connection lines.

Photomechanical effects in polymeric materials directly convert input photonic energy into a macroscopic mechanical output. The photoinitiated mechanical output of these materials is typically dominated by classical mechanics, primarily derived from the material stiffness and sample geometry. Accordingly, large magnitude shape change (e.g., motion) is typically traded for large magnitude force generation. Here, we report on the systematic preparation and comparison of photomechanical effects in

Abstract The functional surface features of living creatures are driven by the complex morphology of periodically arranged micro/nanoscale structures. Various fabrication processes have been devised mimic the performance of natural features; these methods morph hierarchical and multi‐leveled pillar arrays, such as top‐down, bottom‐up, and a hybrid of top‐down and bottom‐up processes. Different methodologies are employed depending on the materials, such as polymeric composites, metal oxides, meta

State-of-the-art triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) typically employ fluoropolymers, highly negative chargeable materials in triboelectric series. However, many researchers nowadays are concerned about environmental pollution caused by poly-and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) due to their critical immunotoxicity as fluoropolymers are likely to release PFAS into the ecosystem during their life cycle. Herein, a sulfur-rich polymer (SRP)/MXene composite, offering high-performance yet sustainabl

Photomechanical effects in materials can directly convert light stimulus into mechanical work.