연구/산학
PKNU Research 1000
| Kim Dae-Seok | Develops Soft Actuator Operating at -80°C | |||
| 작성자 | 대외홍보센터 | 작성일 | 2025-10-02 |
| 조회수 | 224 | ||
| Kim Dae-Seok | Develops Soft Actuator Operating at -80°C | |||||
 |
대외홍보센터 |  |
2025-10-02 |  |
224 |
Chung-Ang and PKNU Research Team Develops Soft Actuator Operating at -80°C
-Published in <Advanced Functional Materials>, a Leading Journal in Materials Chemistry
A joint research team from Chung-Ang University and Pukyong National University (PKNU) has developed a new material technology that overcomes the limitations of conventional soft robots, drawing significant attention.
The team, led by Professor Lee Chang-Yeon from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Chung-Ang University, Professor Kim Dae-Seok from the Department of Polymer Engineering at PKNU, and Professor Osuji from the University of Pennsylvania, has successfully developed a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE)-based soft actuator that can operate without performance degradation even at extremely low temperatures of -80°C.
Liquid crystal elastomers, which are a type of polymer material, are gaining attention as a key material technology for next-generation soft robots and artificial muscles, due to their ability to undergo mechanical deformation in response to external stimuli such as heat or light.
However, in ultra-low temperature environments such as the polar regions or outer space, where most materials freeze, mechanical deformation of materials is difficult to achieve, and thus the implementation of this technology was previously considered unfeasible.
The research team developed a proprietary processing technique using liquid crystal molecules to exfoliate low-dimensional nanomaterials such as two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) at high concentrations and to stably disperse them for over a year. Using this process, the team successfully incorporated photothermal nanomaterials into the liquid crystal elastomer at high concentrations.
As a result, thanks to the strong photothermal response of the high-concentration nanomaterials, the team successfully implemented a soft actuator that can undergo mechanical deformation using only near-infrared light, even at ultra-low temperatures of ？80°C.
The research team confirmed that the flexible soft actuator they developed was capable of lifting objects more than 100 times its own weight, without any loss of performance even at a temperature of ？80°C.
Furthermore, through modeling, the team predicted that the actuator could operate using low-intensity near-infrared light even in deep space environments at cryogenic temperatures of 3K (close to absolute zero).
Professor Lee Chang-Yeon stated, “This research is highly significant as it dramatically extends the operational temperature range of conventional soft actuators, and we expect it to pave the way for the use of soft robots in extreme environments such as the polar regions or outer space.”
This research was supported by the Global Research Laboratory (GRL) program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the Next-Generation Advanced OLED Workforce Training Program by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT).
The research findings were published in the September 2025 issue of <Advanced Functional Materials> (IF: 19), a leading international journal in the field of materials chemistry, under the title:
‘High-Concentration Mesogen-Assisted Exfoliation of Low-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Achieving Ultralow-Temperature Actuations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers.’
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202509262
