Through the addition of a conductive nanofiller and the selection of an appropriate actuator geometry, high‐strain reversible actuation can be induced electrothermally in polymer nanocomposite films by exploiting either of two common thermomechanical processes, namely thermal expansion (TTg).

The effect of the dynamic molecular rearrangements leading to compositional segregation is revealed in coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of short pulse laser interaction with a polymer solution in a volatile matrix. An internal release of matrix vapor at the onset of the explosive boiling of the overheated liquid is capable of pushing polymer molecules to the outskirts of a transient bubble, forming a polymer-rich surface layer enclosing the volatile matrix material. The results explain unexpected "deflated balloon" structures observed in films deposited by the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation technique.

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