Shrinkage-induced alignment in multiphoton 3D printed liquid crystal elastomers enables direct-write, arbitrary axis microactuators

Shrinkage-induced alignment in multiphoton 3D printed liquid crystal elastomers enables direct-write, arbitrary axis microactuators | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Shrinkage-induced alignment in multiphoton 3D printed liquid crystal elastomers enables direct-write, arbitrary axis microactuators Devin Roach, Jeremy Herman, Zach Miller, Emily Huntley, Eric Gonzalez, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8971871/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Multi-photon lithography (MPL) is a nano-scale additive manufacturing technique capable of creating extremely detailed structures with sub-micron 3D resolution, providing a leading platform for innovation in the field of microrobotics. Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are a class of soft, stimuli-responsive materials that undergo large, reversible shape changes, motivating their extensive study as artificial muscles for soft microrobotic systems. Actuation in LCEs relies on the alignment of their polymer backbone, yet achieving spatially programmable alignment at sub-micrometer scales remains a challenge. In this work, we report a straightforward method for introducing controlled alignment in LCEs 3D printed using MPL. LCE inks containing a non-reactive solvent are printed between fixed constraints and, upon solvent removal, a shrinkage-induced volume change generates internal stresses, leading to alignment of the printed LCE network. Importantly, the direction of alignment and resulting actuation can be programmed along arbitrary axes in a 3D printing coordinate system without substrate pretreatment or external fields. These MPL printed LCE microactuators demonstrate actuation in functional micromechanical systems including a micro-mirror array and gear system, achieving specific work values of up to 212 J/kg. This approach enables simultaneous 3D printing and alignment of LCEs at the microscale, providing a pathway for creating efficient, stimuli-responsive actuators for microrobotic systems. Physical sciences/Engineering/Mechanical engineering Physical sciences/Materials science/Soft materials/Liquid crystals Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files MPLHermanJASINatCommsv3.docx Supplementary Info for Shrinkage-induced alignment in multiphoton 3D printed liquid crystal elastomers enables direct-write, arbitrary axis microactuators Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8971871","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":597536199,"identity":"224ed7be-02d6-434e-bafa-c14102441d17","order_by":0,"name":"Devin 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