Figure 5. Various modes of 3D-to-3D shape transformation from LCN microstructures of the same geometry (coils and rings) but with different encoded 3D director fields.

a) The shape transformation of coils: (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) represent uniform alignment, twisting alignment with 40 µm thickness, twisting alignment with 25 µm thickness, and 3D alignment with a sinusoidal director field on the top substrate, respectively. Coils expanded perpendicular to the director field (i), expanded and bent with different amplitudes (ii,iii), and squeezed into crumpled structures (iv). b) The shape transformation of rings: (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) represent uniform alignment, twisting alignment with 40 µm thickness, twisting alignment with 25 µm thickness, and 3D alignment with a +2 topological defect on the top substrate, respectively. The rings expanded perpendicular to the director field (i), expanded and bent out-of-plane with different amplitudes (ii,iii), and expanded uniformly in all directions (iv). Scale bars are 50 µm in all images. All shape deformations are achieved by swelling the LCN microstructures with N,N-dimethylformamide.