Folding Control of Hydrogel Platforms through Pattern Design and Light Illumination

Herein,
we demonstrated a strategy to control the folding ability
of hydrogel platforms through pattern design and light illumination.
Hydrogel platforms, which consist of a temperature-responsive colored
pattern, a temperature-responsive intermediate layer, and a passive
(nonresponsive) layer, were fabricated in molds with different geometries.
Folding ability of the resulting films was manipulated by the light
illumination, pattern design, and color. Furthermore, as a proof-of-concept,
sample capturing from a target point was successfully demonstrated
using the fabricated hydrogel platforms. These results show that our
strategy may provide promising possibilities for the fabrication of
the next-generation soft foldable materials.