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Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators
Published on: May 20, 2018
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Mechanically programmed 2D and 3D liquid crystal elastomers at macro- and microscale via two-step photocrosslinking
Jieun Lee1, Yuanhang Guo, Yu-Jin Choi
1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Korea. skahn@pusan.ac.kr.
Soft Matter
|February 15, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed a simple method to create 2D and 3D liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) with reversible shape changes. This technique enables programming molecular orientation for advanced applications in soft robotics and smart materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are known for significant reversible shape transformations.
- Controlling molecular orientation is key to directing LCE shape changes.
- Fabricating 3D-shaped LCEs at macro- and microscales remains challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile method for fabricating 2D and 3D-shaped LCEs.
- To enable room-temperature processing of LCEs with programmable shape changes.
- To explore the potential applications of these novel LCE structures.
Main Methods:
- Mechanical programming (stretching, pressing, embossing, UV-imprinting) of polydomain LCEs.
- Subsequent photocrosslinking to fix the programmed shape.
- Characterization of reversible shape changes under thermal and chemical stimuli.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of macro- and microscale 2D and 3D-shaped LCEs at room temperature.
- Demonstrated reversible shape changes in programmed LCEs.
- Achieved pre-programmable actuation strain by controlling elongation.
- LCE micropillar arrays showed reversible height changes during thermal actuation.
Conclusions:
- A convenient and versatile method for creating 2D and 3D-shaped LCEs has been established.
- The developed LCEs exhibit controllable and reversible shape transformations.
- This technique may accelerate LCE applications in actuators, soft robots, smart coatings, tunable optics, and medicine.
