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Microfluidic Preparation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Actuators
Published on: May 20, 2018
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A High-Fidelity Preparation Method for Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators.
Yaoyao Jiang1, Xu Dong1, Qi Wang1
1Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, P. R. China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|May 31, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a novel wet 3D printing and freeze-drying method for high-precision monodomain liquid crystal elastomer (mLCE) actuators. This technique enables the creation of complex, programmable 3D structures with excellent actuating strain for diverse applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Soft Robotics
Background:
- Monodomain liquid crystal elastomers (mLCEs) are promising for 3D structural actuators.
- Direct ink writing (DIW) has been used for printing LCE structures.
- Achieving high precision in 3D-mLCE actuators remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-fidelity method for fabricating complex 3D-mLCE actuators.
- To enhance the precision and performance of 3D-printed mLCE structures.
- To enable programmable shape-changing capabilities in mLCE actuators.
Main Methods:
- A wet 3D printing technique combined with freeze-drying was employed.
- Ink viscosity and printing speed were optimized to control liquid crystal (LC) molecular order.
- Dynamic disulfide bond formation was utilized for continuous curing and layer bonding.
Main Results:
- Uniform fibers with high mesogen orientational alignment (S = 0.45) were achieved.
- 3D-mLCE actuators with high fidelity architecture (98.37 vol %) were fabricated.
- The actuators demonstrated excellent actuating strain (45.12%) and programmable behavior.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method offers a feasible scheme for fabricating complex 3D-mLCEs with reversible shape changes.
- The developed actuators show potential for applications in soft robotics and bionic devices.
- This work advances the capabilities of 3D printing for advanced elastomer materials.
