Botanical systems have evolved the intriguing ability to respond to diverse stimuli due to long‐term survival competition. Mimicking these dynamic behaviors has greatly advanced the developments in wide fields ranging from soft robotics, precision sensors to drug delivery and biomedical devices. However, realization of stimuli‐responsive components at the microscale with high response speed still remains a significant challenge. Herein, the miniature biomimetic 4D printing of pH‐responsive hydrogel is reported in spatiotemporal domain by femtosecond laser direct writing. The dimension of the printed architectures is at the microscale (<102 µm) and the response speed is reduced down to subsecond level (<500 ms). Shape transformation with multiple degrees of freedom is accomplished by taking advantage of pH‐triggered expansion, contraction, and torsion. Biomimetic complex shape‐morphing is enabled by adopting flexible scanning strategies. In addition, application of this 4D‐printed micro‐architecture in selective micro‐object trapping and releasing is demonstrated, showcasing its possibilities in micromanipulation, single‐cell analysis, and drug delivery.

Smart dynamic regulation structured surfaces, inspired by nature, which can dynamically change their surface topographies under external stimuli for convertible fluidic and optical properties, have recently motivated significant interest for scientific research and industrial applications. However, there is still high demand for the development of multifunctional dynamically transformable surfaces using facile preparation strategies. In this work, a type of Janus high‐aspect‐ratio magnetically responsive microplates array (HAR‐MMA) is readily fabricated by integrating a flexible laser scanning strategy, smart shape‐memory‐polymer‐based soft transfer, and a simple surface treatment. By applying external magnetic field, instantaneous and reversible deformation of Janus HAR‐MMA can be actuated, so surface wettability can be reversibly switched between superhydrophobic (158°) and hydrophilic (40°) states, based on which a novel magnetically responsive water droplet switch can be realized. Moreover, inspired by the biological assimilatory coloration of chameleons, dynamically color conversion can be skillfully realized by applying different colors on each side of the Janus HAR‐MMA. Finally, as a proof‐of‐concept demonstration in light manipulation, a HAR‐MMA is applied as an optical shutter actuated by external magnetic field with eximious controllability and repeatability. The developed multifunctional HAR‐MMA provides a versatile platform for microfluidic, biomedical, and optical applications.

Microrobots have attracted considerable attention due to their extensive applications in microobject manipulation and targeted drug delivery. To realize more complex micro-/nanocargo manipulation (e.g., encapsulation and release) in biological applications, it is highly desirable to endow microrobots with a shape-morphing adaptation to dynamic environments. Here, environmentally adaptive shape-morphing microrobots (SMMRs) have been developed by programmatically encoding different expansion rates in a pH-responsive hydrogel. Due to a combination with magnetic propulsion, a shape-morphing microcrab (SMMC) is able to perform targeted microparticle delivery, including gripping, transporting, and releasing by “opening–closing” of a claw. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a shape-morphing microfish (SMMF) is designed to encapsulate a drug (doxorubicin (DOX)) by closing its mouth in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH ∼ 7.4) and release the drug by opening its mouth in a slightly acidic solution (pH < 7). Furthermore, localized HeLa cell treatment in an artificial vascular network is realized by “opening–closing” of the SMMF mouth. With the continuous optimization of size, motion control, and imaging technology, these magnetic SMMRs will provide ideal platforms for complex microcargo operations and on-demand drug release.

Inspired by flagellate microorganisms in nature, the microhelix is considered as an ideal model for transportation in fluid environment with low Reynolds number. However, how to promote the swimming and loading capabilities of microhelices with controllable geometries remains challenging. In this study, a novel kind of conical hollow microhelices is proposed and a method is developed to rapidly fabricate these microhelices with controllable parameters by femtosecond vortex beams generated from spatial light modulation along helical scanning. Conical hollow microhelices with designable heights (H = 45–75 µm), diameters (D = 6–18 µm), pitch numbers (Pi = 2–4), taper angles (T = 0.1–0.6 rad), and pitch periods (ΔP = 10–30 µm) are efficiently fabricated. In addition, compared with straight microhelices, the forward swimming capability of conical microhelices increases by 50% and the lateral drift of the conical hollow microhelices is reduced by 70%. Finally, the capabilities of these conical hollow microhelices for nanocargo loading and release by the inner hollow core, as well as transportation of neural stem cells by the outer surface are demonstrated. This work provides new insights into faster and simultaneous transportation of multicargoes for hybrid drug delivery, targeted therapy, and noninvasive surgery in vivo.

Optical vortices, a type of structured beam with helical phase wavefronts and ‘doughnut’-shaped intensity distributions, have been used to fabricate chiral structures in metals and spiral patterns in anisotropic polarization-dependent azobenzene polymers. However, in isotropic polymers, the fabricated microstructures are typically confined to non-chiral cylindrical geometry due to the two-dimensional ‘doughnut’-shaped intensity profile of the optical vortices. Here we develop a powerful strategy to realize chiral microstructures in isotropic material by coaxial interference of a vortex beam and a plane wave, which produces three-dimensional (3D) spiral optical fields. These coaxial interference beams are generated by designing contrivable holograms consisting of an azimuthal phase and an equiphase loaded on a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator. In isotropic polymers, 3D chiral microstructures are achieved under illumination using coaxial interference femtosecond laser beams with their chirality controlled by the topological charge. Our further investigation reveals that the spiral lobes and chirality are caused by interfering patterns and helical phase wavefronts, respectively. This technique is simple, stable and easy to perform, and it offers broad applications in optical tweezers, optical communications and fast metamaterial fabrication.