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Electrically-tunable surface deformation of a soft elastomer.

Samuel Shian1, David R Clarke

  • 1John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. sshian@seas.harvard.edu.

Soft Matter
|March 10, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Applying an electric field to metallic nanowires on an elastomer surface causes reversible undulations. These surface changes, not the nanowires, scatter light, enabling applications in tunable devices and adhesion control.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Optoelectronics

Background:

  • Elastomeric surfaces can be modified using electric fields applied to conductive elements.
  • Metallic nanowires form percolating networks on surfaces, enabling electrical conductivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the deformation of elastomer surfaces induced by electric fields acting on dispersed metallic nanowires.
  • To explore the optical properties and potential applications of these field-induced surface changes.

Main Methods:

  • Deformation of a thin elastomer on a conducting substrate with a percolating network of metallic nanowires.
  • Application of an electric field to induce surface undulations.
  • Optical imaging to observe the effects and their reversibility.
  • Analysis of light scattering properties related to surface morphology.

Main Results:

  • Electric field application causes reversible surface undulations on the elastomer, with magnitudes several times the nanowire diameter.
  • Field-induced morphological changes, rather than the nanowires themselves, are responsible for significant light scattering.
  • The surface returns to its flat state upon removal of the electric field.

Conclusions:

  • Field-induced surface morphology changes in nanowire-elastomer composites offer tunable optical properties.
  • Potential applications include smart windows, displays, camouflage, and tunable adhesion technologies.
  • This research highlights a novel method for creating dynamic, optically active surfaces.