Laser-triggerable elastomeric composites for soft electronics and robotics

Abstract

Remotely triggerable transient materials can couple on-demand functional reconfiguration with clean end-of-life control in soft systems. Here, we present a laser-addressable silicone elastomer composite that undergoes rapid thermochemical liquefaction under femtosecond laser pulses. The composite integrates Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) as photothermal transducers and diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate (DPI-HFP) powders as thermally activated fluoride generators, which catalyze Si-O bond cleavage. Localized photothermal heating initiates decomposition at moderate fluence and enables device-scale erasure under significantly lower energy input than direct laser ablation of pristine Ecoflex. Systematic studies elucidate how photothermal filler content and thermal conductivity determine triggering thresholds and govern decomposition kinetics. Before triggering, the material retains high elasticity and mechanical robustness, enabling its use as a substrate for stretchable electronics and as a strain-limiting layer for transformable soft actuators. Proof-of-concept devices demonstrate spatially selective erasure of electronic components and remote reprogramming of actuator kinematics without contact or bulk heating. This elastomeric transient platform bridges mechanical compliance with stand-off and programmable termination, providing a route to spatiotemporally resolved state control in soft electronics and robotics.

Keywords

Laser-triggered decomposition / on-demand degradation / transient silicone elastomers / transient electronics / transient soft actuators / shape-shifting soft robots

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