Fast Light-Responsive Actuator With High-Strength Self-Healing Properties

Stimulus-responsive materials are of great importance in the development of flexible robotics, among which light-responsive actuators have become a research hotspot due to their advantages of non-contact stimulation and remotely controllable. However, the traditional light-responsive actuator has a slow response rate and insufficient mechanical strength and service life, which seriously limits the application range of the material. In this study, a fast light-driven high-strength self-healing actuator was prepared by structural design using 4,4'-methylenebis (cyclohexyl isocyanate) (HMDI), polycaprolactone diol (PCL-2000), urethane pyrimidinone (Upy), and α-cyanostilbene (CS) polymerized the polyurethane elastomer PU-CS₅₀ exhibits an excellent phototropic deformation rate (42.5°/s deformation rate). It also has excellent mechanical properties (52.6 MPa tensile strength and 1628% elongation at break) and healing capabilities (89% self-healing efficiency). This smart material combines fast optical response, excellent mechanical properties, and efficient self-healing capability, paving the way for the development of fast-response optically actuated flexible robots.