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Recent Progress in Shape-Transformable Materials and Their Applications

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Abstract

Carefully designed geometries and materials can program desired shapes. In this review, we introduce shape-transformable materials and their recent applications in electronic devices and robots. Strain-guiding shape transformation can be achieved by geometry design or materials design, which can program the magnitude and direction of strain to develop desired shapes. For the geometry design, we discuss origami and kirigami, which transform 2D sheet materials into desired 3D shapes via local deformations caused by fold creases and cut openings. The desired shape can be programmed by controlling the length and alignment of folds or cuts. For the material design, heterogeneities in materials can develop strain driven shape transformation. Heterogeneities in materials include those in anisotropic materials, graded materials, or mixtures of different materials. Shape-transformable materials can be prepared by introducing heterogeneities into stimuli-responsive materials, including inflatable materials, shape memory polymers, liquid crystal elastomers, and hydrogels. The development of shape-transformable materials has led to innovations in energy storage devices, displays, sensors, epidermal electronics, actuators, and robots.

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Acknowledgements

Figure 1, Fig. 2b–c, Fig. 3e, and Fig. 4b are reprinted by permission from Springer Nature. Figure 4a and Fig. 5o are reprinted by permission from AAAS

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (Grant numbers 2019R1A2C2003430, 2019R1A6A3A13097110, 2018M3A7B4089670, 2016R1A5A1938472), the Creative-Pioneering Researchers Program through Seoul National University, and LG Display under the LGD–Seoul National University Incubation Program

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  1. Yu-Ki Lee and Juhee Kim contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Yu-Ki Lee, Juhee Kim & In-Suk Choi

  2. Department of Computer Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jyh-Ming Lien

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104, USA

    Young-Joo Lee

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Lee, YK., Kim, J., Lien, JM. et al. Recent Progress in Shape-Transformable Materials and Their Applications. Electron. Mater. Lett. 18, 215–231 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-021-00330-8

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