Programmable Folding Kinetics in Single-Composition Hydrogel Actuators via UV-Induced Microphase Separation

Key Points

• The central aim is to enhance control over folding behaviors in hydrogel-based actuators through UV-induced mechanisms.
• Designed single-composition hydrogel actuators with UV exposure to induce microphase separation.
• Analyzed swelling kinetics through various stimuli to assess performance and responsiveness.
• Investigated the impact of environmental factors on folding behavior during actuation.
• Achieved a significant improvement in control over folding kinetics compared to traditional systems.
• Demonstrated that the shape change in actuators can be finely tuned through programming the UV exposure time.
• Showed that actuators exhibit high responsiveness to multiple environmental stimuli.