Photodriven Aquatic Locomotion in Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Composites with Tunable Wettability
Photodriven liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) composites with thiol-functionalized Ti₃C₂T<sub>x</sub> MXene nanosheets are introduced as a versatile material system for achieving controlled aquatic locomotion. By incorporating superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic coatings, these composites demonstrate distinct modalities at the air-water interface and underwater. The stimuli-responsive behavior of the LCE nanocomposites is enhanced through the homogeneous dispersion of MXene platelets within the LCE matrix, facilitated by thiol-functionalization. Superhydrophobic coatings increase buoyancy and reduce drag, enabling locomotion akin to water striders at the air-water interface. Conversely, superhydrophilic coatings submerse the composites to allow photomechanical actuation to drive underwater locomotion against gravity. By combining tunable wettability with robust photothermal performance, these MXene-LCE composites open new opportunities for designing and integrating stimuli-responsive materials in aquatic actuation systems.
Authors
- Dhriti Nepal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0972-9960)
- Timothy J. White (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8006-7173)
- Avijit Das (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0417-6826)
- Joselle M. McCracken (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0411-3542)
- Mohsin Saeed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4328-6575)
Institutions
- United States Air Force Research Laboratory (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (US)
- U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate
- U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2025-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202505300
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.66