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Spontaneous bending of pre-stretched bilayers.
1SISSA, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy.
Meccanica
|March 3, 2018
Summary
Pre-stretched bilayer sheets can achieve spontaneous bending by adjusting layer pre-stretches. This provides a model for shape programming and surface morphing in complex systems, including bio-mimetic structures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanics of Materials
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Bilayer sheets exhibit complex deformations influenced by material properties and pre-stretching.
- Spontaneous shape changes are crucial in natural and engineered systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spontaneously bent configurations in pre-stretched bilayer sheets.
- To establish pre-stretched bilayer sheets as a model system for shape programming and surface morphing.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a two-dimensional nonlinear plate model adapted from nematic elastomer research.
- Employed a rigorous dimensional reduction argument based on Gamma-convergence theory.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that tuning pre-stretches in bilayer sheets induces spontaneously bent configurations.
- Established a theoretical framework for understanding shape programming in these systems.
Conclusions:
- Pre-stretched bilayer sheets offer a tunable platform for studying surface morphing.
- This model system is relevant for understanding complex deformations in stimuli-responsive materials and bio-mimetic structures.
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