Synchronously Thermochromic and Shape‐Shifting Liquid Crystal Elastomers Enabled by Hierarchical Structure Control for Multidimensional Encryption

Abstract

AbstractTo date, a diverse array of smart materials, drawing inspiration from nature, is developed, exhibiting remarkable shape or color‐changing capabilities, which hold great promise in applications such as bionic soft robots and information encryption platforms. Achieving reversible shape‐shifting and color variation harmoniously within a single material is a particularly appealing prospect. Herein, a facile approach to creating such materials is presented, capable of undergoing reversible shape and color‐change synchronously. This is achieved by harnessing the stress‐free two‐way shape‐memory effect (2W‐SME) of a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE), meticulously programmed at both macro and micro scales. Specifically, the LCE with stress‐free 2W‐SME is fabricated, and permanent grating nanostructures are meticulously constructed through UV‐assisted nanoimprinting. By enabling reversible shape alterations at multiple dimensions, encompassing both macro and micro scales, the LCE material concurrently exhibits reversible changes in shape and color, triggered by heat. As a result, intelligent information encryption and decryption platforms that leverage the unique capabilities of LCE are demonstrated. The outcomes of this research endeavor are poised to pave the way for the advancement of smart materials in the realms of data storage and encryption.