1
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Wu H, Zhang B, Li K. Synchronous behaviors of three coupled liquid crystal elastomer-based spring oscillators under linear temperature fields. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:024701. [PMID: 38491566 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.024701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Self-oscillating coupled systems possess the ability to actively absorb external environmental energy to sustain their motion. This quality endows them with autonomy and sustainability, making them have application value in the fields of synchronization and clustering, thereby furthering research and exploration in these domains. Building upon the foundation of thermal responsive liquid crystal elastomer-based (LCE-based) spring oscillators, a synchronous system comprising three LCE-based spring oscillators interconnected by springs is established. In this paper, the synchronization phenomenon is described, and the self-oscillation mechanism is revealed. The results indicate that by varying system parameters and initial conditions, three synchronization patterns emerge, namely, full synchronous mode, partial synchronous mode, and asynchronous mode. For strongly interacting systems, full synchronous mode always prevails, while for weak interactions, the adjustment of initial velocities in magnitude and direction yields the three synchronization patterns. Additionally, this study explores the impact of several system parameters, including LCE elasticity coefficient and spring elasticity coefficient, on the amplitude, frequency, and synchronous mode of the system. The findings in this paper can enhance our understanding of the synchronization behavior of multiple mutually coupled LCE-based spring oscillators, with promising applications in energy harvesting, soft robotics, signal monitoring, and various other fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Wu
- School of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei, Anhui 230601,China
| | - Biao Zhang
- School of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei, Anhui 230601,China
| | - Kai Li
- School of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei, Anhui 230601,China
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2
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Wu H, Dai Y, Li K. Self-Vibration of Liquid Crystal Elastomer Strings under Steady Illumination. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3483. [PMID: 37631540 PMCID: PMC10458575 DOI: 10.3390/polym15163483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-vibrating systems based on active materials have been widely developed, but most of the existing self-oscillating systems are complex and difficult to control. To fulfill the requirements of different functions and applications, it is necessary to construct more self-vibrating systems that are easy to control, simple in material preparation and fast in response. This paper proposes a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) string-mass structure capable of continuous vibration under steady illumination. Based on the linear elastic model and the dynamic LCE model, the dynamic governing equations of the LCE string-mass system are established. Through numerical calculation, two regimes of the LCE string-mass system, namely the static regime and the self-vibration regime, are obtained. In addition, the light intensity, contraction coefficient and elastic coefficient of the LCE can increase the amplitude and frequency of the self-vibration, while the damping coefficient suppresses the self-oscillation. The LCE string--mass system proposed in this paper has the advantages of simple structure, easy control and customizable size, which has a wide application prospect in the fields of energy harvesting, autonomous robots, bionic instruments and medical equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kai Li
- School of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China; (H.W.); (Y.D.)
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3
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Li K, Liu Y, Dai Y, Yu Y. Self-Vibration of a Liquid Crystal Elastomer Fiber-Cantilever System under Steady Illumination. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3397. [PMID: 37631454 PMCID: PMC10458184 DOI: 10.3390/polym15163397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A new type of self-oscillating system has been developed with the potential to expand its applications in fields such as biomedical engineering, advanced robotics, rescue operations, and military industries. This system is capable of sustaining its own motion by absorbing energy from the stable external environment without the need for an additional controller. The existing self-sustained oscillatory systems are relatively complex in structure and difficult to fabricate and control, thus limited in their implementation in practical and complex scenarios. In this paper, we creatively propose a novel light-powered liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fiber-cantilever system that can perform self-sustained oscillation under steady illumination. Considering the well-established LCE dynamic model, beam theory, and deflection formula, the control equations for the self-oscillating system are derived to theoretically study the dynamics of self-vibration. The LCE fiber-cantilever system under steady illumination is found to exhibit two motion regimes, namely, the static and self-vibration regimes. The positive work done by the tension of the light-powered LCE fiber provides some compensation against the structural resistance from cantilever and the air damping. In addition, the influences of system parameters on self-vibration amplitude and frequency are also studied. The newly constructed light-powered LCE fiber-cantilever system in this paper has a simple structure, easy assembly/disassembly, easy preparation, and strong expandability as a one-dimensional fiber-based system. It is expected to meet the application requirements of practical complex scenarios and has important application value in fields such as autonomous robots, energy harvesters, autonomous separators, sensors, mechanical logic devices, and biomimetic design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yong Yu
- School of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
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4
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Bobnar M, Derets N, Umerova S, Domenici V, Novak N, Lavrič M, Cordoyiannis G, Zalar B, Rešetič A. Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal elastomers as moldable shape-programmable material. Nat Commun 2023; 14:764. [PMID: 36765062 PMCID: PMC9918464 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36426-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The current development of soft shape-memory materials often results in materials that are typically limited to the synthesis of thin-walled specimens and usually rely on complex, low-yield manufacturing techniques to fabricate macro-sized, solid three-dimensional objects. However, such geometrical limitations and slow production rates can significantly hinder their practical implementation. In this work, we demonstrate a shape-memory composite material that can be effortlessly molded into arbitrary shapes or sizes. The composite material is made from main-chain liquid crystal elastomer (MC-LCE) microparticles dispersed in a silicone polymer matrix. Shape-programmability is achieved via low-temperature induced glassiness and hardening of MC-LCE inclusions, which effectively freezes-in any mechanically instilled deformations. Once thermally reset, the composite returns to its initial shape and can be shape-programmed again. Magnetically aligning MC-LCE microparticles prior to curing allows the shape-programmed artefacts to be additionally thermomechanically functionalized. Therefore, our material enables efficient morphing among the virgin, thermally-programmed, and thermomechanically-controlled shapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Bobnar
- grid.11375.310000 0001 0706 0012Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nikita Derets
- grid.11375.310000 0001 0706 0012Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ,grid.423485.c0000 0004 0548 8017On leave from: Ioffe Institute, Division of Physics of Dielectrics and Semiconductors, Politekhnicheskaya 26, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Saide Umerova
- grid.11375.310000 0001 0706 0012Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Valentina Domenici
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Pisa, via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nikola Novak
- grid.11375.310000 0001 0706 0012Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marta Lavrič
- grid.11375.310000 0001 0706 0012Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - George Cordoyiannis
- grid.11375.310000 0001 0706 0012Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Boštjan Zalar
- grid.11375.310000 0001 0706 0012Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ,grid.445211.7Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andraž Rešetič
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Solid State Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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5
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Yasuoka H, Takahashi KZ, Aoyagi T. Impact of molecular architectures on mesogen reorientation relaxation and post-relaxation stress of liquid crystal elastomers under electric fields. POLYMER 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.125789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
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6
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Regression analysis for predicting the elasticity of liquid crystal elastomers. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19788. [PMID: 36396780 PMCID: PMC9672114 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23897-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It is highly desirable but difficult to understand how microscopic molecular details influence the macroscopic material properties, especially for soft materials with complex molecular architectures. In this study we focus on liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and aim at identifying the design variables of their molecular architectures that govern their macroscopic deformations. We apply the regression analysis using machine learning (ML) to a database containing the results of coarse grained molecular dynamics simulations of LCEs with various molecular architectures. The predictive performance of a surrogate model generated by the regression analysis is also tested. The database contains design variables for LCE molecular architectures, system and simulation conditions, and stress-strain curves for each LCE molecular system. Regression analysis is applied using the stress-strain curves as objective variables and the other factors as explanatory variables. The results reveal several descriptors governing the stress-strain curves. To test the predictive performance of the surrogate model, stress-strain curves are predicted for LCE molecular architectures that were not used in the ML scheme. The predicted curves capture the characteristics of the results obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. Therefore, the ML scheme has great potential to accelerate LCE material exploration by detecting the key design variables in the molecular architecture and predicting the LCE deformations.
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7
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Self-Jumping of a Liquid Crystal Elastomer Balloon under Steady Illumination. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14142770. [PMID: 35890544 PMCID: PMC9319439 DOI: 10.3390/polym14142770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-oscillation capable of maintaining periodic motion upon constant stimulus has potential applications in the fields of autonomous robotics, energy-generation devices, mechano-logistic devices, sensors, and so on. Inspired by the active jumping of kangaroos and frogs in nature, we proposed a self-jumping liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) balloon under steady illumination. Based on the balloon contact model and dynamic LCE model, a nonlinear dynamic model of a self-jumping LCE balloon under steady illumination was formulated and numerically calculated by the Runge–Kutta method. The results indicated that there exist two typical motion regimes for LCE balloon under steady illumination: the static regime and the self-jumping regime. The self-jumping of LCE balloon originates from its expansion during contact with a rigid surface, and the self-jumping can be maintained by absorbing light energy to compensate for the damping dissipation. In addition, the critical conditions for triggering self-jumping and the effects of several key system parameters on its frequency and amplitude were investigated in detail. The self-jumping LCE hollow balloon with larger internal space has greater potential to carry goods or equipment, and may open a new insight into the development of mobile robotics, soft robotics, sensors, controlled drug delivery, and other miniature device applications.
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8
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Yasuoka H, Takahashi KZ, Aoyagi T. Trade-off effect between the stress and strain range in the soft elasticity of liquid crystalline elastomers. Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s41428-022-00641-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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9
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Janeczek H, Duale K, Sikorska W, Godzierz M, Kordyka A, Marcinkowski A, Hercog A, Musioł M, Kowalczuk M, Christova D, Rydz J. Poly(l-Lactide) Liquid Crystals with Tailor-Made Properties Toward a Specific Nematic Mesophase Texture. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2022; 10:3323-3334. [PMID: 35310687 PMCID: PMC8924921 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c08282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the liquid crystal (LC) properties of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA). Mesophase behavior is investigated using polarized optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. The performed analyses confirm that pressed PLLA films exhibit the unique capability of self-assembling into a nematic mesophase under the influence of mechanical pressure, temperature, and time. It was originally demonstrated that the chiral nematic mesophase can be obtained by introducing fine powders into the polymer. Based on the research conducted, it was proved that the pressed PLLA films have a chiral nematic mesophase with a nematic-to-isotropic phase transition and a large mesophase stability range overlapping the temperature of the human body, which can persist for years at ambient temperature. The obtained films show tailor-made properties toward a nematic mesophase with a specific texture, including colored planar texture of the chiral nematic mesophase and blue-phase (BP) LC texture. The BP, described for the first time in plain PLLA, occurred over a wider than usual temperature range of stability between isotropic and chiral nematic thermotropic phases (ΔT ≈ 9 °C), which is an advantage of the obtained polymer material, in addition to ease of preparation. This opens up new prospects for advanced photonic green applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henryk Janeczek
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Khadar Duale
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Wanda Sikorska
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Marcin Godzierz
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Kordyka
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Andrzej Marcinkowski
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Anna Hercog
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Marta Musioł
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Marek Kowalczuk
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- School
of Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna St., Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, U.K.
| | - Darinka Christova
- Institute
of Polymers, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Akad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 103A, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Joanna Rydz
- Centre
of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowska 34, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
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10
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Molecular architecture dependence of mesogen rotation during uniaxial elongation of liquid crystal elastomers. POLYMER 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2021.123970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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11
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Bubnov A, Cigl M, Penkov D, Otruba M, Pociecha D, Chen HH, Hamplová V. Design and Self-Assembling Behaviour of Calamitic Reactive Mesogens with Lateral Methyl and Methoxy Substituents and Vinyl Terminal Group. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13132156. [PMID: 34208990 PMCID: PMC8271372 DOI: 10.3390/polym13132156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Smart self-organising systems attract considerable attention in the scientific community. In order to control and stabilise the liquid crystalline behaviour, and hence the self-organisation, the polymerisation process can be effectively used. Mesogenic units incorporated into the backbones as functional side chains of weakly cross-linked macromolecules can become orientationally ordered. Several new calamitic reactive mesogens possessing the vinyl terminal group with varying flexible chain lengths and with/without lateral substitution by the methyl (methoxy) groups have been designed and studied. Depending on the molecular structure, namely, the type and position of the lateral substituents, the resulting materials form the nematic, the orthogonal SmA and the tilted SmC phases in a reasonably broad temperature range, and the structure of the mesophases was confirmed by X-ray diffraction experiments. The main objective of this work is to contribute to better understanding of the molecular structure-mesomorphic property relationship for new functional reactive mesogens, aiming at further design of smart self-assembling macromolecular materials for novel sensor systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexej Bubnov
- Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 1999/2, 182 21 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.C.); (V.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +420-266-052-134
| | - Martin Cigl
- Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 1999/2, 182 21 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.C.); (V.H.)
| | - Deyvid Penkov
- Gymnázium Christiana Dopplera, Zborovská 621/45, 150 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (D.P.); (M.O.)
| | - Marek Otruba
- Gymnázium Christiana Dopplera, Zborovská 621/45, 150 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (D.P.); (M.O.)
| | - Damian Pociecha
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, ul. Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Hsiu-Hui Chen
- Institute of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Research and Development Center of Smart Textile Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan;
| | - Věra Hamplová
- Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 1999/2, 182 21 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.C.); (V.H.)
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12
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Gardymova AP, Krakhalev MN, Zyryanov VY, Gruzdenko AA, Alekseev AA, Rudyak VY. Polymer Dispersed Cholesteric Liquid Crystals With a Toroidal Director Configuration under an Electric Field. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:732. [PMID: 33673505 PMCID: PMC7956821 DOI: 10.3390/polym13050732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The electro-optical properties of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films are highly dependent on the features of the contained liquid crystal (LC) droplets. Cholesteric LC droplets with homeotropic boundaries can form several topologically different orientational structures, including ones with single and more point defects, layer-like, and axisymmetric twisted toroidal structures. These structures are very sensitive to an applied electric field. In this work, we have demonstrated experimentally and by computer simulations that twisted toroidal droplets reveal strong structural response to the electric field. In turn, this leads to vivid changes in the optical texture in crossed polarizers. The response of droplets of different sizes were found to be equivalent in terms of dimensionless parameters. In addition, the explanation of this phenomenon showed a comparison of theoretical and experimental structural response curves aids to determine the shape of the droplet. Finally, we demonstrated that the addition of a dichroic dye allows such films to be used as optical filters with adjustable color even without polarizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna P. Gardymova
- Institute of Engineering Physics and Radio Electronics, Siberian Federal University, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia; (A.P.G.); (M.N.K.)
| | - Mikhail N. Krakhalev
- Institute of Engineering Physics and Radio Electronics, Siberian Federal University, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia; (A.P.G.); (M.N.K.)
- Kirensky Institute of Physics, Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia;
| | - Victor Ya. Zyryanov
- Kirensky Institute of Physics, Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia;
| | - Alexandra A. Gruzdenko
- Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.A.G.); (A.A.A.)
| | - Andrey A. Alekseev
- Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.A.G.); (A.A.A.)
| | - Vladimir Yu. Rudyak
- Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.A.G.); (A.A.A.)
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13
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Rešetič A, Milavec J, Domenici V, Zupančič B, Bubnov A, Zalar B. Deuteron NMR investigation on orientational order parameter in polymer dispersed liquid crystal elastomers. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:23064-23072. [PMID: 33047744 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp04143b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal elastomers have been recently introduced as a thermomechanically active composite material, consisting of magnetically oriented liquid crystal elastomer particles incorporated in a cured polymer matrix. Their thermomechanical properties are largely governed by the degree of imprinted particle alignment, which can be assessed by means of deuterium perturbed 2H-NMR. Spectra of samples with various degrees of imprinted particle alignment were recorded and the results simulated using the discrete reorientational exchange model developed for determining the dispersion of liquid crystal elastomer's domain orientational distribution. We show that the model can be applied to measure the orientational distribution of embedded liquid crystal microparticles and successfully determine the orientational order parameter in the composite system. Thermomechanical measurements correlate well with the obtained results, thus additionally confirming the validity of the applied method.
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Affiliation(s)
- AndraŽ Rešetič
- J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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