Fig. 10From: Nanocomposite hydrogel actuators hybridized with various dimensional nanomaterials for stimuli responsiveness enhancementa Schematic images of preparation of the anisotropy hydrogel with FHT LC NSs and PNIPAAm under electric field. b Microscopic view of the PNIPAAm/FHT LC NSs hydrogel synthesized with in-plane and out-of-plane electric field. The optically polarized images are observed with crossed polarizers and a wave plate. c Photographs of the anisotropic deformation of the PNIPAAm/FHT LC NSs hydrogel film upon photo-irradiation (top) and heating (bottom). (a–c were reproduced with permission from Ref. [63], © 2014, Wiley–VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim). d Schematic of the hydrogel actuator comprising structurally oriented alumina platelets and gelatin. e Schematic images of the behavior of pinecone in dehydration/hydration process and the predominant orientation of CMFs within a pinecone scale (left). Synthetic pinecone scales constructed by oriented platelets in a bilayer structure within gelatin (right). (d was reproduced with permission from Ref. [65], © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited)Back to article page