Responsive materials

Entry needed:

Chosen by Grant England

Introduction

Responsive materials are materials which change in response to environmental stimuli. Examples include hydrogels or other polymer gels, photochromic or thermochromic materials,piezoelectric materials, light-emitting materials, and thermoelectric materials.

Responsive Material Applications

Responsive materials have applications that affect most of our everyday lives. Digital weight scales use piezoelectric strain gauges to determine weight. Transition (c) lenses use photochromic material to tint in response to UV light.

This powerpoint shows several examples of responsive "smart" materials.[1]

Keyword in references:

Hydrogel-Actuated Integrated Responsive Systems (HAIRS): Moving towards Adaptive Materials

Microfluidic fabrication of smart microgels from macromolecular precursors