A cut-and-paste strategy towards liquid crystal elastomers with complex shape morphing

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (30) ◽  
pp. 8251-8257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Chen ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Ling-Xiang Guo ◽  
Bao-Ping Lin ◽  
Hong Yang
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Complex Shape ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Disulfide Exchange ◽  
Soft Actuator ◽  
Shape Morphing ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomers

In this work, monodomain liquid crystal elastomer films with exchangeable disulfide crosslinkers are cut into pieces and pasted together through dynamic disulfide exchange to form versatile shaped soft actuator materials.

Liquid crystal elastomer actuator with serpentine locomotion

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (55) ◽  
pp. 7597-7600
Author(s):  
Meng Wang ◽  
Xin-Bao Hu ◽  
Bo Zuo ◽  
Shuai Huang ◽  
Xu-Man Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Soft Actuator ◽  
Shape Morphing ◽  
S Curve

In this manuscript, we describe a snake-mimic soft actuator with serpentine locomotion, which can move forward relying on a reversible shape morphing between S-curve and reverse S-curve structures.

Effect of stretching angle on the stress plateau behavior of main-chain liquid crystal elastomers

Soft Matter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 3128-3136
Author(s):  
Suzuka Okamoto ◽  
Shinichi Sakurai ◽  
Kenji Urayama
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Main Chain ◽  
Stress Plateau ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Ultimate Elongation ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Stretching angle for a main-chain liquid crystal elastomer has pronounced effects on the width of the stress plateau as well as the ultimate elongation, while it has no effect on the plateau height.

Bio-inspired thermal-responsive inverse opal films with dual structural colors based on liquid crystal elastomer

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (17) ◽  
pp. 4424-4430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huihui Xing ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Jinbao Guo ◽  
Jie Wei
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Inverse Opal ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Structural Colors ◽  
Thermal Switching ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomers

The fabrication of inverse opal micropatterns based on liquid crystal elastomers with dual structural colors and their thermal switching behaviors are described.

Photothermally driven liquid crystal polymer actuators

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 1932-1943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangliang Dong ◽  
Yue Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Complex Shape ◽  
Liquid Crystal Polymer ◽  
Photothermal Effect ◽  
Polymer Actuators ◽  
Shape Morphing ◽  
Crystal Polymer

Light-controlled liquid crystal polymer actuators using the photothermal effect are easy to make and capable of executing complex shape morphing or motion.

Deuteron NMR investigation on orientational order parameter in polymer dispersed liquid crystal elastomers

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (40) ◽  
pp. 23064-23072
Author(s):  
Andraž Rešetič ◽  
Jerneja Milavec ◽  
Valentina Domenici ◽  
Blaž Zupančič ◽  
Alexej Bubnov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Order Parameter ◽  
Orientational Order ◽  
Orientational Order Parameter ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
H Nmr ◽  
Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal ◽  
Polymer Dispersed ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomers ◽  
Magnetically Aligned

Orientational order parameter of magnetically aligned liquid crystal elastomer particles suspended in a cured silicone matrix is assessed using 2H-NMR spectroscopy. Obtained results correspond well with the composite's thermomechanical response.

scholarly journals A multifunctional shape-morphing elastomer with liquid metal inclusions

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (43) ◽  
pp. 21438-21444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Ford ◽  
Cedric P. Ambulo ◽  
Teresa A. Kent ◽  
Eric J. Markvicka ◽  
Chengfeng Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Liquid Metal ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Shape Morphing ◽  
Robot Locomotion ◽  
Mesoscale Structures ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Liquid Crystal Phase Transition ◽  
Macroscopic Shape

Natural soft tissue achieves a rich variety of functionality through a hierarchy of molecular, microscale, and mesoscale structures and ordering. Inspired by such architectures, we introduce a soft, multifunctional composite capable of a unique combination of sensing, mechanically robust electronic connectivity, and active shape morphing. The material is composed of a compliant and deformable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) matrix that can achieve macroscopic shape change through a liquid crystal phase transition. The matrix is dispersed with liquid metal (LM) microparticles that are used to tailor the thermal and electrical conductivity of the LCE without detrimentally altering its mechanical or shape-morphing properties. Demonstrations of this composite for sensing, actuation, circuitry, and soft robot locomotion suggest the potential for versatile, tissue-like multifunctionality.

Untethered soft robotic matter with passive control of shape morphing and propulsion

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (33) ◽  
pp. eaax7044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arda Kotikian ◽  
Connor McMahan ◽  
Emily C. Davidson ◽  
Jalilah M. Muhammad ◽  
Robert D. Weeks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Integrated Design ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Shape Morphing ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Pentagonal Prism ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
Thermal Stimuli ◽  
Bending Response

There is growing interest in creating untethered soft robotic matter that can repeatedly shape-morph and self-propel in response to external stimuli. Toward this goal, we printed soft robotic matter composed of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) bilayers with orthogonal director alignment and different nematic-to-isotropic transition temperatures (TNI) to form active hinges that interconnect polymeric tiles. When heated above their respective actuation temperatures, the printed LCE hinges exhibit a large, reversible bending response. Their actuation response is programmed by varying their chemistry and printed architecture. Through an integrated design and additive manufacturing approach, we created passively controlled, untethered soft robotic matter that adopts task-specific configurations on demand, including a self-twisting origami polyhedron that exhibits three stable configurations and a “rollbot” that assembles into a pentagonal prism and self-rolls in programmed responses to thermal stimuli.

scholarly journals Shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer structures with arbitrary three-dimensional director fields and geometries

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yubing Guo ◽  
Jiachen Zhang ◽  
Wenqi Hu ◽  
Muhammad Turab Ali Khan ◽  
Metin Sitti
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Heterogeneous Material ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Field Orientation ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Material Sample ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomers ◽  
Thermally Triggered

AbstractLiquid crystal elastomers exhibit large reversible strain and programmable shape transformations, enabling various applications in soft robotics, dynamic optics, and programmable origami and kirigami. The morphing modes of these materials depend on both their geometries and director fields. In two dimensions, a pixel-by-pixel design has been accomplished to attain more flexibility over the spatial resolution of the liquid crystal response. Here we generalize this idea in two steps. First, we create independent, cubic light-responsive voxels, each with a predefined director field orientation. Second, these voxels are in turn assembled to form lines, grids, or skeletal structures that would be rather difficult to obtain from an initially connected material sample. In this way, the orientation of the director fields can be made to vary at voxel resolution to allow for programmable optically- or thermally-triggered anisotropic or heterogeneous material responses and morphology changes in three dimensions that would be impossible or hard to implement otherwise.

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