TY  - JOUR
A1  - Liu, Yue
A1  - Gould, Oliver E. C.
A1  - Rudolph, Tobias
A1  - Fang, Liang
A1  - Kratz, Karl
A1  - Lendlein, Andreas
T1  - Polymeric microcuboids programmable for temperature-memory
JF  - Macromolecular materials and engineering
N2  - Microobjects with programmable mechanical functionality are highly desirable for the creation of flexible electronics, sensors, and microfluidic systems, where fabrication/programming and quantification methods are required to fully control and implement dynamic physical behavior. Here, programmable microcuboids with defined geometries are prepared by a template-based method from crosslinked poly[ethylene-co-(vinyl acetate)] elastomers. These microobjects could be programmed to exhibit a temperature-memory effect or a shape-memory polymer actuation capability. Switching temperaturesT(sw)during shape recovery of 55 +/- 2, 68 +/- 2, 80 +/- 2, and 86 +/- 2 degrees C are achieved by tuning programming temperatures to 55, 70, 85, and 100 degrees C, respectively. Actuation is achieved with a reversible strain of 2.9 +/- 0.2% to 6.7 +/- 0.1%, whereby greater compression ratios and higher separation temperatures induce a more pronounced actuation. Micro-geometry change is quantified using optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The realization and quantification of microparticles, capable of a tunable temperature responsive shape-change or reversible actuation, represent a key development in the creation of soft microscale devices for drug delivery or microrobotics.
KW  - actuation
KW  - atomic force microscopy
KW  - biomaterials
KW  - microparticles
KW  - shape-memory polymers
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.202000333
SN  - 1438-7492
SN  - 1439-2054
VL  - 305
IS  - 10
PB  - Wiley-VCH
CY  - Weinheim
ER  -