Abstract
A knot is a worldwide used complication and one of the most ancient technologies in human history. A knot can be found in a wide range of applications such as providing practical structural robustness and mechanical connections between objectives. Here, we report a responsive knot that can self-adjust its geometry upon external stimuli. The knot is tightened in a thread made of a liquid crystal gel, the diameter and internal friction of which vary upon thermal/chemical stimulus. An overhand knot and a reef knot are demonstrated to exhibit auto-untie action responsive to external stimuli. A self-dropping device is shown to sense its surrounding temperature and chemical change in the environment, providing the proof-of-concept for sensing application. The results offer new alternatives for soft micro-robots and automation control for non-electric devices. This journal is
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 14154-14160 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Materials Chemistry C |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 40 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Publication forum classification
- Publication forum level 1
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry