Abstract Programmable/reprogrammable magneto-responsive composites (MRCs) are highly desirable for applications in soft robotics, morphable actuators, and biomedical devices due to their capabilities of undergoing reversible, complex, untethered, and rapid deformations. However, current MRC-based devices primarily rely on soft matrices, which revert to their original shapes and cease functioning when external magnetic fields are removed. Moreover, their magnetization programming, deformations, and functioning need to alternate between encoding and actuation platforms, limiting the adaptability and efficiency. Here, we present a reprogrammable magnetic shape-memory composite (RM-SMC) integrating a shape-memory polymer (SMP) skeleton with phase-transition magnetic microcapsules. High-intensity laser melts microcapsules for magnetic realignment under programmed fields, while low-intensity laser softens SMP for structural reconfiguration without compromising integrity. This dual-laser strategy facilitates in situ magnetization programming, shape morphing, and function execution within a single material system. Our innovative approach allows unique applications, including omnidirectional multi-degree of freedom actuators activating light switches, solar trackers optimizing energy capture, and adaptive impellers modulating fluid pumping. By eliminating platform alternation and enabling shape/function retention post-actuation, the RM-SMC platform overcomes critical limitations in conventional MRCs, establishing a paradigm for multifunctional devices requiring persistent configuration control and field-independent operation.
Zhang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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