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About

Dirk J. Mulder is a leading researcher in the field of stimuli-responsive soft materials, with a primary focus on liquid crystal networks (LCNs) and elastomers (LCEs) for advanced actuator technologies. His work bridges fundamental photomechanics and applied soft robotics, exploring how these materials can be engineered to respond to light, heat, and physiological conditions. Mulder’s most impactful contribution is his 2017 study on photoactive polymer films, which has garnered over 1,000 citations—a testament to its foundational role in understanding wave-like actuation in responsive polymers. He has pioneered the development of micrometer-scale porous buckling shell actuators and 4D-printed azobenzene-containing LCEs capable of operating under wet, physiological environments, directly addressing critical challenges in biomedical engineering and microfluidics. More recently, Mulder has advanced the field by introducing thermoplastic LCEs as a recyclable alternative to traditional thermoset actuators, and by developing dual-responsive gradient structures via photopolymerization-induced diffusion. His work is characterized by a drive toward practical, scalable fabrication methods for complex, multi-responsive soft robots and biomimetic devices.