Background
Hideko Koshima was professor of chemistry at Ehime University and then moved to Waseda University in 2014. Her research fields are solid-state organic photochemistry, materials chemistry, and chiral chemistry. Her current research interests include mechanically responsive molecular crystals by light and heat. She received the Japanese Woman Scientists Association Award in 2001, and the Japanese Photochemistry Association Award for Distinguished Contribution to Photochemistry in 2014.
Title
Light-Driven Crystal-Polymer Composite Actuators
Abstract
Soft robots made of light and soft organic materials have attracted much attention because of improved safety for daily interactions with humans. Mechanically responsive materials that can move macroscopically by light and heat have been studied over the past two decades. Among them, mechanically responsive organic crystals are attractive in terms of a larger Young’s modulus and faster response speed compared with polymers and gels. However, they are associated with some drawbacks, such as size limitations to the millimeter scale and poor processability, which hinder their practical applications. Composites of crystals with polymers represent one of the approaches to solving these issues. Herein, we report that the composite films exhibited distinct mechanical motion under light irradiation. The composites provide insight into the development of photomechanical materials with high processability, and ultimately light-fueled actuators and soft robots.