Shape‐Changing Particles: From Materials Design and Mechanisms to Implementation

Abstract

Demands for next‐generation soft and responsive materials have sparked recent interest in the development of shape‐changing particles and particle assemblies. Over the last two decades, a variety of mechanisms that drive shape change have been explored and integrated into particulate systems. Through a combination of top‐down fabrication and bottom‐up synthesis techniques, shape‐morphing capabilities extend from the microscale to the nanoscale. Consequently, shape‐morphing particles are rapidly emerging in a variety of contexts, including photonics, microfluidics, microrobotics, and biomedicine. Herein, the key mechanisms and materials that facilitate shape changes of microscale and nanoscale particles are discussed. Recent progress in the applications made possible by these particles is summarized, and perspectives on their promise and key open challenges in the field are discussed.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Nov 06, 2021
Source ID
10.1002/adma.202105758

Entities

People

  • C. Wyatt Shields IV
  • Montana B. Minnis
  • Nabila Tanjeem
  • Ryan C Hayward

Organizations

  • Army Research Office
  • Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
  • University of Colorado Boulder

Tags

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Nanoscale Plasmonic Nanotechnology
  • Systems Analysis and Design