| Abstract Scope |
Heterogeneous materials that fold or change shape either spontaneously or in response to environmental stimuli are intellectually intriguing as they are widely observed in nature and living systems. The development of strategies to design, fabricate and engineer such materials is also technologically relevant as it can lead to 3D, smart, adaptive, and autonomous structures and devices. In this talk, I will highlight our efforts to utilize state-of-the-art micro and nanopatterning of materials ranging from atomistic films to hydrogels combined with thin film strain mismatch, capillary forces and differential swelling to create structures that fold and change shape either spontaneously or in response to stimuli including temperature and biochemicals. I will also discuss how these methods and material processing and patterning techniques can enable new technological advances, including 3D atomistic and shell sensors, shape-shifting DNA hydrogel robots, and autonomous untethered surgical tools. |