Responsive hydrogels that undergo controlled shape changes in response to a range of stimuli are of interest for microscale soft robotic and biomedical devices. However, these applications require fabrication methods capable of preparing complex, heterogeneous materials. Here we report a new approach for making patterned, multi-material and multi-responsive hydrogels, on a micrometre to millimetre scale. Nanolitre aqueous pre-gel droplets were connected through lipid bilayers in predetermined architectures and photopolymerized to yield continuous hydrogel structures. By using this droplet network technology to pattern domains containing temperature-responsive or non-responsive hydrogels, structures that undergo reversible curling were produced. Through patterning of gold nanoparticle-containing domains into the hydrogels, light-activated shape change was achieved, while domains bearing magnetic particles allowed movement of the structures in a magnetic field. To highlight our technique, we generated a multi-responsive hydrogel that, at one temperature, could be moved through a constriction under a magnetic field and, at a second temperature, could grip and transport a cargo.

响应一系列刺激而发生受控形状变化的响应性水凝胶引起了微型软机器人和生物医学设备的兴趣。然而，这些应用需要能够制备复杂、异质材料的制造方法。在这里，我们报告了一种在微米到毫米尺度上制造图案化、多材料和多响应水凝胶的新方法。纳升水性预凝胶液滴通过预定结构中的脂质双层连接并光聚合以产生连续的水凝胶结构。通过使用这种液滴网络技术来图案化包含温度响应性或非响应性水凝胶的域，产生了可逆卷曲的结构。通过将含有金纳米粒子的域图案化到水凝胶中，实现了光激活的形状变化，而带有磁性粒子的域允许结构在磁场中移动。为了突出我们的技术，我们生成了一种多响应水凝胶，在一种温度下，它可以在磁场下穿过收缩部分，在第二种温度下，可以抓住并运输货物。