Light-Triggered Transmittance Control in Thermoresponsive Hydrogels by Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing

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Thermoresponsive hydrogels, which exhibit changes in their optical properties and volume due to temperature variations, are promising candidates for applications in soft devices. In this study, we demonstrate the modulation of transmittance in a thermoresponsive hydrogel through light stimulation employing gold microstructures fabricated via multiphoton photoreduction. The spatial integration of photoresponsiveness, attributed to high-density gold nanoparticles within the thermoresponsive hydrogel, was accomplished through the high-speed laser scanning of femtosecond laser pulses. The temperature measurement during the fabrication of the gold microstructure revealed that the high-speed and multiple scanning over the same path effectively reduced the temperature in the irradiated area of femtosecond laser pulses. The present approach enabled the mitigation of thermal effects during the fabrication, resulting in minimizing distortion in the fine lines of the structures. Upon exposure to stimulus light, a rapid change in the transmittance of the region where the structures were fabricated was prominently observed. The present method unveils a promising avenue for the advancement of light-responsive soft devices.