Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Rapid Manufacturing of Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots08:47

Rapid Manufacturing of Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots

8.1K
This protocol describes a method for rapid manufacturing of soft pneumatic actuators and robots with a thin form factor. The fabrication method starts with lamination of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sheets followed by laser cutting/welding of a two-dimensional pattern to form actuators and...
8.1K
Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers07:09

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

9.6K
Here we present a fabrication method of soft pneumatic network actuators with oblique chambers. The actuators are capable of generating coupled bending and twisting motions, which broadens their application in soft...
9.6K
Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

8.8K
This article describes a fast and simple manufacturing process of ionic electromechanically active composite materials for actuators in biomedical, biomimetic and soft robotics applications. The key fabrication steps, their importance for the actuators' final properties, and some of the main characterization techniques are described in...
8.8K
Free-form Light Actuators — Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale08:17

Free-form Light Actuators — Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale

9.6K
Here, we fabricate 3D polymeric micro/nano structures in which both the shape and the molecular alignment can be engineered with nanometer scale accuracy by the use of direct laser writing. Light induced deformation of several types of liquid crystalline elastomer microstructures can be controlled in the microscopic...
9.6K
Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes08:24

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

9.3K
A bioinspired scaffold is fabricated by a soft photolithography technique using mechanically robust and electrically conductive hydrogels. The micropatterned hydrogels provide directional cardiomyocyte cell alignment, resulting in a tailored direction of actuation. Flexible microelectrodes are also integrated into the scaffold to bring electrical controllability for a self-actuating cardiac...
9.3K
Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators12:04

Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators

9.4K
This article describes the microfluidic process and parameters to prepare actuating particles from liquid crystalline elastomers. This process allows the preparation of actuating particles and the variation of their size and shape (from oblate to strongly prolate, core-shell, and Janus morphologies) as well as the magnitude of...
9.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

3D qtz-Topology COFs With Bicarbazole-Centered Nodes for High-Performance Adsorption of C<sub>6</sub> VOCs.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

Thiol-Isocyanate Photoprinting of Liquid Crystal Elastomers Toward High Toughness and Reprintability.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Dual-wavelength photopatterning unlocks spatially programmable heterogeneity in liquid crystal elastomers.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

A transparent PVA-based polymer sunscreen protects retinal tissue from ultraviolet damage.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Twisted Nanoribbon-Like Electron Acceptor With Suppressed Non-Radiative Loss and Seed-Assisted Crystallization for High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Permanently Reprocessable Highly Cross-Linked Thiourethane Networks Derived from Isocyanate-Reactive Amine Catalyst.

ACS applied polymer materials·2026
Same journal

The Role of Zn-Hf Site Proximity and Oxygen Vacancies for Methanol Formation Over ZnHfO<sub>x</sub> Catalysts Under CO<sub>2</sub> Hydrogenation Conditions.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same journal

Breaking the Linear Scaling Relationship: Bioinspired Electronic Coupling in S-Bridged Fe-Fe Dual Sites for Efficient Oxygen Reduction.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same journal

Programming Bio-Bio Electronic Interfaces for Light-Driven Interspecies Electron Transfer.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same journal

Self-Cleaning Solar Evaporation Facilitating Water Electrolysis for Hydrogen Generation From Seawater.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same journal

Sulfur Vacancy-Enriched Cu<sub>4</sub>SnS<sub>4-x</sub> Nanosheets Enable Synergistic Cuproptosis, Photothermoelectric Catalytic and Immunotherapy.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same journal

Mechanically Interlocked Indigo Photoswitches.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Rapid Manufacturing of Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots
08:47

Rapid Manufacturing of Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots

Published on: November 8, 2019

8.1K

Reprocessable Thermoset Soft Actuators.

Yang Yang1, Eugene M Terentjev2, Yubai Zhang1

  • 1The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|September 19, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Liquid crystalline epoxy thermosets (LCETs) can be reprocessed into 3D soft actuators using the time-temperature equivalence principle. This breakthrough allows for recyclable and stable actuators, overcoming limitations of traditional thermosets.

Keywords:
liquid crystalline thermosetsreprogramming and weldingstable alignmenttime-temperature equivalence principletransesterification

More Related Videos

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers
07:09

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

9.6K
Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Rapid Manufacturing of Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots
08:47

Rapid Manufacturing of Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots

Published on: November 8, 2019

8.1K
Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers
07:09

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

9.6K
Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.8K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Robotics

Background:

  • Traditional thermosets offer excellent stability for 3D soft actuators but lack reprocessing capabilities.
  • Reprocessing is crucial for sustainability and advanced functionalities in soft robotics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the reprocessing of liquid crystalline epoxy thermosets (LCETs) into 3D soft actuators.
  • To investigate the stability and properties of reprocessed LCET-based actuators.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing the time-temperature equivalence principle to induce transesterification in LCETs.
  • Aligning LCETs through a simple procedure and testing their stability over 1000 actuation cycles.

Main Results:

  • LCETs were successfully reprocessed into 3D soft actuators by extending transesterification time.
  • The alignment of LCETs proved stable at high temperatures and after extensive heating-cooling cycles.
  • Reprocessed actuators exhibited remouldable, reprogrammable, reconfigurable, weldable, self-healable, and recyclable properties.

Conclusions:

  • The time-temperature equivalence principle enables reprocessing of LCETs, creating advanced 3D soft actuators.
  • These novel actuators overcome the limitations of traditional thermosets, offering unprecedented versatility and sustainability.