Controlled Shape-morphing of Elastic Sheets by Chemically-driven Fluid Flow

Shape-morphing of two-dimensional (2D) materials into complex three-dimensional (3D) structures provides a wide range of applications from wearable electronics to soft robotics. Convective flows generated by the appropriate chemical reactions provide a mechanism for shape transformation of elastic 2D materials submerged in a flow environment. Here, using a computational model that incorporates interrelated chemical, hydrodynamic and mechanical interactions, we demonstrate how a (2D) enzyme-coated elastic sheet can spontaneously morph into 3D structures in response to specific chemical stimuli introduced in the fluid-filled microchamber. We outline design principles for creating a multi-responsive elastic sheet that self-morphs into different 3D structures. We further develop a theoretical model based on lubrication theory for thin liquid films coupled to the deformations of an elastic sheet that rationalizes our simulation observations and provides insights into the initial dynamics of the transformation of elastic sheets within the microfluidic system.