Photothermal Actuation of Liquid Metal Contained Film by Near-Infrared Laser Irradiation

Responsive polymers that express actuation functions controllable by external stimuli are expected to be deployed in soft robots and soft actuators. In particular, light-responsive polymers can be used for non-contact actuation and remote/local control. In this study, we verify that the photothermal conversion characteristics of the motion induced by infrared light irradiation of an elastomer film containing liquid metal (LM). The first is the study of Marangoni propulsion on the water surface, and the second is the study of the bending motion of polyimide/LM-containing bilayer film in air.