1
|
Zhang X, Wei J, Qin L, Yu Y. Liquid crystal polymer actuators with complex and multiple actuations. J Mater Chem B 2024. [PMID: 38916076 DOI: 10.1039/d4tb01055h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Deformable liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), which exhibit both entropic elasticity of polymer networks and anisotropic properties originating from ordered mesogens, have gained more and more interest for use as biomedical soft actuators. Especially, LCP actuators with controllable mesogen alignment, sophisticated geometry and reprogrammability are a rising star on the horizon of soft actuators, since they enable complex and multiple actuations. This review focuses on two topics: (1) the regulation of mesogen alignment and geometry of LCP actuators for complex actuations; (2) newly designed reprogrammable LCP materials for multiple actuations. First, basic actuation mechanisms are briefly introduced. Then, LCP actuators with complex actuations are demonstrated. Special attention is devoted to the improvement of fabrication methods, which profoundly influence the available complexity of the mesogen alignment and geometry. Subsequently, reprogrammable LCP actuators featuring dynamic networks or shape memory effects are discussed, with an emphasis on their multiple actuations. Finally, perspectives on the current challenges and potential development trends toward more intelligent LCP actuators are discussed, which may shed light on future investigations in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhang
- Department of Materials Science & State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Jia Wei
- Department of Materials Science & State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Lang Qin
- Department of Materials Science & State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Yanlei Yu
- Department of Materials Science & State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gui Q, Liu Z, Sun X, Guo G, Yuan Y, Zhang H. Design, Synthesis, and Performance of Photo-Responsive Liquid Crystal Polymers with Stepwise Deformation Capability. Macromol Rapid Commun 2024:e2400193. [PMID: 38837543 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400193] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Photo-responsive liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) have potential application value in flexible robots, artificial muscles, and microfluidic control. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of LCPs. However, the preparation of LCPs with continuous and controllable stepwise deformation capabilities remains a challenge. In this study, visible photo-responsive cyanostilbene monomer, UV photo-responsive azobenzene monomer, and multiple hydrogen bond crosslinker are used to prepare photo-responsive LCPs capable of achieving continuously and controllable stepwise deformation. The comprehensive investigation of the multiple light response ability and photo-induced deformation properties of these copolymers is conducted. The results reveal that in the first stage of photo-induced deformation under 470 nm blue light irradiation, the deformation angle decreases with a reduction in cyanostilbene content in the copolymer component, ranging from 40° in AZ0-CS4 to 0° in AZ4-CS0. In the second stage of photo-induced deformation under 365 nm UV irradiation, the deformation angle increases with the increase of azobenzene content, ranging from 0° of AZ0-CS4 to 89.4° of AZ4-CS0. Importantly, the deformation between these two stages occurs as a continuous process, allowing for a direct transition from the first-stage to the second-stage deformation by switching the light source from 470 to 365 nm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qin Gui
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Functional Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, 411105, China
| | - Zui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Functional Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, 411105, China
| | - Xiangling Sun
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Functional Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, 411105, China
| | - Guangqiang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Functional Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, 411105, China
| | - Yongjie Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Functional Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, 411105, China
| | - Hailiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Functional Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, 411105, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhao J, Sun Y, Dai Y, Wu J, Li K. Dynamic response of a simply supported liquid-crystal elastomer beam under moving illumination. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:054704. [PMID: 38907412 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.054704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Optically responsive liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) devices have thriving potential to flourish in soft robots and microdrives, owing to their advantages of remote controllability, structural simplicity, and no power supply. In terms of illumination-driven modes, most research has focused on the dynamic response of LCE devices under continuous and periodic illumination, while the theoretical study of the dynamic response under moving illumination is limited. In this paper, based on the coupling of LCE and mechanical deformation under moving illumination, the dynamic model of a LCE simply supported beam is built to investigate its dynamic response under moving illumination. The analytical solution of the dynamic response of the LCE beam under moving illumination is derived through the modal superposition method and the Duhamel integration, and the solution is programed and analyzed with matlab software. By numerical calculations, the influence of the internal and driving parameters of the structure on the dynamic response of the LCE simply supported beam can be analyzed. The results show that when the moving speed of illumination reaches the first-order critical frequency, the maximum amplitude of the dynamic response at the beam mid-span will reach a peak. Meanwhile, the dynamic response of beam can be improved by increasing the illumination width, increasing the light intensity, increasing the shrinkage coefficient, and reducing the damping coefficient. This work provides theoretical guidance for applying the dynamic response of LCE devices under moving illumination in soft robots, microactuators, energy harvesters, sensors, etc.
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang J, Zhou H, Fan Y, Hou W, Zhao T, Hu Z, Shi E, Lv JA. Adaptive nanotube networks enabling omnidirectionally deformable electro-driven liquid crystal elastomers towards artificial muscles. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2024; 11:1877-1888. [PMID: 38516937 DOI: 10.1039/d4mh00107a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Artificial muscles that can convert electrical energy into mechanical energy promise broad scientific and technological applications. However, existing electro-driven artificial muscles have been plagued with problems that hinder their practical applications: large electro-mechanical attenuation during deformation, high-driving voltages, small actuation strain, and low power density. Here, we design and create novel electro-thermal-driven artificial muscles rationally composited by hierarchically structured carbon nanotube (HS-CNT) networks and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), which possess adaptive sandwiched nanotube networks with angulated-scissor-like microstructures, thus effectively addressing above problems. These HS-CNT/LCE artificial muscles demonstrate not only large strain (>40%), but also remarkable conductive robustness (R/R0 < 1.03 under actuation), excellent Joule heating efficiency (≈ 233 °C at 4 V), and high load-bearing capacity (R/R0 < 1.15 at 4000 times its weight loaded). In addition, our artificial muscles exhibit real-muscle-like morphing intelligence that enables preventing mechanical damage in response to excessively heavyweight loading. These high-performance artificial muscles uniquely combining omnidirectional stretchability, robust electrothermal actuation, low driving voltage, and powerful mechanical output would exert significant technological impacts on engineering applications such as soft robotics and wearable flexible electronics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Wang
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Hao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
| | - Yangyang Fan
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Wenhao Hou
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Tonghui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Zhiming Hu
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Enzheng Shi
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
| | - Jiu-An Lv
- Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Liu G, Deng Y, Ni B, Nguyen GTM, Vancaeyzeele C, Brûlet A, Vidal F, Plesse C, Li MH. Electroactive Bi-Functional Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2307565. [PMID: 37946670 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) with promising applications in the field of actuators and soft robotics are reported. However, most of them are activated by external heating or light illumination. The examples of electroactive LCEs are still limited; moreover, they are monofunctional with one type of deformation (bending or contraction). Here, the study reports on trilayer electroactive LCE (eLCE) by intimate combination of LCE and ionic electroactive polymer device (i-EAD). This eLCE is bi-functional and can perform either bending or contractile deformations by the control of the low-voltage stimulation. By applying a voltage of ±2 V at 0.1 Hz, the redox behavior and associated ionic motion provide a bending strain difference of 0.80%. Besides, by applying a voltage of ±6 V at 10 Hz, the ionic current-induced Joule heating triggers the muscle-like linear contraction with 20% strain for eLCE without load. With load, eLCE can lift a weight of 270 times of eLCE-actuator weight, while keeping 20% strain and affording 5.38 kJ·m-3 work capacity. This approach of combining two smart polymer technologies (LCE and i-EAD) in a single device is promising for the development of smart materials with multiple degrees of freedom in soft robotics, electronic devices, and sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaoyu Liu
- Chimie ParisTech, Université Paris Sciences & Lettres, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, UMR8247, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Yakui Deng
- Chimie ParisTech, Université Paris Sciences & Lettres, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, UMR8247, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Bin Ni
- Chimie ParisTech, Université Paris Sciences & Lettres, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, UMR8247, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Giao T M Nguyen
- CY Cergy Paris Université, Laboratoire de physicochimie des polymères et des interfaces (LPPI), 5 mail Gay Lussac, Cergy-Pontoise, Cedex, 95031, France
| | - Cédric Vancaeyzeele
- CY Cergy Paris Université, Laboratoire de physicochimie des polymères et des interfaces (LPPI), 5 mail Gay Lussac, Cergy-Pontoise, Cedex, 95031, France
| | - Annie Brûlet
- Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, Université Paris-Saclay, UMR12 CEA-CNRS, CEA Saclay, 3 rue Joliot Curie, Gif sur Yvette, Cedex, 91191, France
| | - Frédéric Vidal
- CY Cergy Paris Université, Laboratoire de physicochimie des polymères et des interfaces (LPPI), 5 mail Gay Lussac, Cergy-Pontoise, Cedex, 95031, France
| | - Cédric Plesse
- CY Cergy Paris Université, Laboratoire de physicochimie des polymères et des interfaces (LPPI), 5 mail Gay Lussac, Cergy-Pontoise, Cedex, 95031, France
| | - Min-Hui Li
- Chimie ParisTech, Université Paris Sciences & Lettres, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, UMR8247, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wei C, Cao S, Zhou Y, Lin D, Jin L. Rate-dependent stress-order coupling in main-chain liquid crystal elastomers. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:7923-7936. [PMID: 37812029 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00770g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) exhibit significant viscoelasticity. Although the rate-dependent stress-strain relation of LCEs has already been widely observed, the effect of the intricate interplay of director rotation and network extension on the viscoelastic behavior of main-chain LCEs remains inadequately understood. In this study, we report real-time measurements of the stress, director rotation, and all strain components in main-chain nematic LCEs subjected to uniaxial tension both parallel and tilted to the initial directors at different loading rates and relaxation tests. We find that both network extension and director rotation play roles in viscoelasticity, and the characteristic relaxation time of the network extension is much larger than that of the director rotation. Interestingly, the gradual change of the director in a long-time relaxation indicates the director reorientation delay is not solely due to the viscous rotation of liquid crystals but also arises from its coupling with the highly viscous network. Additionally, significant rate-dependent shear strain occurs in LCEs under uniaxial tension, showing non-monotonic changes when the angle between the stretching and the initial director is large enough. Finally, a viscoelastic constitutive model, only considering the viscosity of the network by introducing multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient, is utilized to manifest the relation between rate-dependent macroscopic deformation and microscopic director rotation in LCEs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wei
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Scott Cao
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Yu Zhou
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Dehao Lin
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Engineering Department, El Camino College, Torrance, CA 90506, USA
| | - Lihua Jin
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Li K, Lou J, Hu S, Dai Y, Wang F, Yu Y. Vibration of a Liquid Crystal Elastomer Spring Oscillator under Periodic Electrothermal Drive. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:2822. [PMID: 37447468 DOI: 10.3390/polym15132822] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The oscillations of electrically actuated thermally-responsive liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) microfibers under cyclic electric actuation have been discovered in recent experiments. Periodic electric actuation is a common method of active control with potential applications in the fields of micro-actuators. In this paper, the vibration behavior of LCE spring oscillator under periodic electrothermal drive is studied theoretically. Based on the dynamic LCE model, the dynamic governing equation of the LCE spring oscillator is established, and the time history curves of the vibration are obtained by numerical calculations. The results show that the periodic electrothermal drive can cause periodic vibration of the LCE spring oscillator. With the increase of time rate, the vibration amplitude increases first and then decreases. In a small damping system, there exist optimal sets of electrothermal drive period and electrothermal drive time rate to maximize the system amplitude. For the optimum periodic mode, the vibration amplitude of the spring oscillator is affected by the current heat, damping coefficient, gravital acceleration, spring constant and shrinkage coefficient, but not by the initial velocity. The application examples of LCE materials show that periodic electrothermally driven LCEs have promising applications. The results of this study are instructive for the design of soft robots and LCE-based electric locomotives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Li
- College of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jiangfeng Lou
- College of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Shaofei Hu
- College of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yuntong Dai
- College of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230039, China
- State Key Laboratory of Mining Response and Disaster Prevention and Control in Deep Coal Mines, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232002, China
| | - Yong Yu
- College of Civil Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Liu C, Zhang X, Wang X, Wang Z, Abdelwahab I, Verzhbitskiy I, Shao Y, Eda G, Sun W, Shen L, Loh KP. Ferroelectricity in Niobium Oxide Dihalides NbOX 2 (X = Cl, I): A Macroscopic- to Microscopic-Scale Study. ACS NANO 2023; 17:7170-7179. [PMID: 37036127 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c09267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
2D materials with ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties are of interest for energy harvesting, memory storage and electromechanical systems. Here, we present a systematic study of the ferroelectric properties in NbOX2 (X = Cl, I) across different spatial scales. The in-plane ferroelectricity in NbOX2 was investigated using transport and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) measurements, where it was observed that NbOCl2 has a stronger ferroelectric order than NbOI2. A high local field, exerted by both PFM and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) tips, was found to induce 1D collinear ferroelectric strips in NbOCl2. STM imaging reveals the unreconstructed atomic structures of NbOX2 surfaces, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy was used to probe the electronic states induced at defect (vacancy) sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaofei Liu
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Xiuying Zhang
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore
| | - Xinyun Wang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Ziying Wang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Ibrahim Abdelwahab
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Ivan Verzhbitskiy
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore
| | - Yan Shao
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Goki Eda
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore
- Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore
| | - Wanxin Sun
- Bruker Nano Surface Division, 30 Biopolis Street 09-01, The Matrix, Singapore 138671
| | - Lei Shen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
| | - Kian Ping Loh
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Yang Z, Li J, Chen X, Fan Y, Huang J, Yu H, Yang S, Chen EQ. Precisely Controllable Artificial Muscle with Continuous Morphing based on "Breathing" of Supramolecular Columns. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2211648. [PMID: 36634260 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscles are natural motors executing sophisticated work through precise control of linear contraction. Although various liquid crystal polymers based artificial muscles have been designed, the mechanism based on mainly the order-disorder transition usually leads to discrete shape morphing, leaving arbitrary and precise deformation a huge challenge. Here, one novel photoresponsive hemiphasmidic side-chain liquid crystal polymer with a unique "breathing" columnar phase that enables continuous morphing is presented. Due to confinement inside the supramolecular columnar assembly, the cooperative movements of side-chains and backbones generate a significant negative thermal expansion and lead to temperature-controllable muscle-like elongation/contraction in the oriented polymer strip. The irreversible isomerization of the photoresponsive mesogens results in the synergistic phototunable bending and high-contrast fluorescence change. Based on the orthogonal responses to heat and light, controllable arm-like bending motions of this material, which is applicable in constructing advanced artificial muscles or intelligent soft robotics, are further demonstrated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zifan Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Mater Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Jiahua Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Mater Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Xu Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Mater Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Yining Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Mater Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Jin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Haifeng Yu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Mater Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Er-Qiang Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Mater Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Flexoelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystalline Elastomers Prepared by Cross-Linking under Horseshoe-Shaped Deformation. Symmetry (Basel) 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/sym15030616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Flexoelectric polarization, which is caused by symmetry breaking in a distortion of material, was investigated in liquid crystalline elastomers composed of wedge-shaped mesogens prepared by cross-linking under horseshoe-shaped deformation. X-ray diffractometry suggested that splay distortion along the depth direction was induced in the pseudo-isotropic phase. While almost no electric charge was observed in the smectic A phase, an electric charge caused by polarization due to the flexoelectric effect appeared and reached −1367 pC/mm2 in the pseudo-isotropic phase. We tentatively conclude that the macroscopic polarization due to the flexoelectric effect emerged and was fixed in the liquid crystalline elastomers by cross-linking under horseshoe-shaped deformation.
Collapse
|
11
|
Kwok MH, Huang J, Rui G, Bohannon CA, Li R, Zhang H, Zhao B, Zhu L. Achieving High Permittivity Paraelectric Behavior in Mesogen-Free Sulfonylated Chiral Polyethers with Smectic C Liquid Crystalline Self-Assembly. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Man-Hin Kwok
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7202, United States
| | - Jiahao Huang
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7202, United States
| | - Guanchun Rui
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7202, United States
| | - Caleb A. Bohannon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Ruipeng Li
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, New York 11973, United States
| | - Honghu Zhang
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, New York 11973, United States
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7202, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
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]
|
13
|
Bohannon CA, Kwok MH, Huang J, Rui G, Li R, Zhu L, Zhao B. Smectic C Self-Assembly in Mesogen-Free Liquid Crystalline Chiral Polyethers with Sulfonylated Methyl-Branched Side Chains. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2200501. [PMID: 35877188 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
To realize advanced electrical applications for ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymers, high spontaneous polarization (Ps ) is highly desired. However, current ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymers usually exhibit a low Ps . In this work, mesogen-free, chiral polyethers containing sulfonylated methyl-branched alkyl side chains with a (CH2 )3 O spacer between the sulfonyl and the branched alkyl groups are designed and synthesized. In contrast to the linear n-alkyl side chains, the methyl-branched alkyl side chains induce chain tilting in the smectic layers. When double chirality exists in both the main chain and the side chains, a crystalline structure is observed after mechanical stretching. Intriguingly, when single chirality exists in either the backbone or the side chains, a liquid crystalline smectic C phase is obtained. The electric displacement-electric field study, however, does not show typical ferroelectric switching, although the dielectric constants are relatively high for these liquid crystalline polymers. This is likely because the dipole-dipole interactions among neighboring sulfonyl groups along the main chain are so strong that the ferroelectric switching is hindered in the samples. For the future work, it is desired to weaken the dipole-dipole interaction to achieve ferroelectricity in these mesogen-free liquid crystalline polymers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caleb A Bohannon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Man-Hin Kwok
- Depcartment of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7202, USA
| | - Jiahao Huang
- Depcartment of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7202, USA
| | - Guanchun Rui
- Depcartment of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7202, USA
| | - Ruipeng Li
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 11973, USA
| | - Lei Zhu
- Depcartment of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7202, USA
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Zhang X, Yao L, Yan H, Zhang Y, Han D, He Y, Li C, Zhang J. Optical wavelength selective actuation of dye doped liquid crystalline elastomers by quasi-daylight. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:9181-9196. [PMID: 36437786 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01256a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We explore obtaining different photo responses of liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) materials through modulating the optical wavelengths in order to promote the development of precise photocontrol on LCE actuators, and thus study the effect of light-absorbing dyes with different absorption bands on the selective actuation of LCE materials. The dye-doped LCEs were prepared by incorporating special visible absorber dyes into thiol-acrylate main chain LCE (MC-LCE) matrices. The dyes showed photo actuation performance to LCEs due to the photothermal effects. But, every dye-doped LCE could be effectively actuated by light irradiation whose wavelength was inside its absorption band, but could not be effectively actuated by the light whose wavelength was beyond its absorption band. Wavelength selective actuation effects, no matter actuating deformation or actuating force, could be remarkably demonstrated by these dye-doped LCEs through filtering the same quasi-daylight source to be different wavelength bands. Our work opens up a significant way for the precise and convenient photo actuation of LCE actuators, while expanding the utilization potential of quasi-daylight, and further natural sunlight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Liru Yao
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Huixuan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Yuhe Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Dongxu Han
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Yifan He
- Institute of Regulatory Science, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, P. R. China
| | - Chensha Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Biferroelectricity of a homochiral organic molecule in both solid crystal and liquid crystal phases. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6150. [PMID: 36258026 PMCID: PMC9579164 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33925-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferroelectricity, existing in either solid crystals or liquid crystals, gained widespread attention from science and industry for over a century. However, ferroelectricity has never been observed in both solid and liquid crystal phases of a material simultaneously. Inorganic ferroelectrics that dominate the market do not have liquid crystal phases because of their completely rigid structure caused by intrinsic chemical bonds. We report a ferroelectric homochiral cholesterol derivative, β-sitosteryl 4-iodocinnamate, where both solid and liquid crystal phases can exhibit the behavior of polarization switching as determined by polarization–voltage hysteresis loops and piezoresponse force microscopy measurements. The unique long molecular chain, sterol structure, and homochirality of β-sitosteryl 4-iodocinnamate molecules enable the formation of polar crystal structures with point group 2 in solid crystal phases, and promote the layered and helical structure in the liquid crystal phase with vertical polarization. Our findings demonstrate a compound that can show the biferroelectricity in both solid and liquid crystal phases, which would inspire further exploration of the interplay between solid and liquid crystal ferroelectric phases. Ferroelectricity normally exists in either solid crystals or liquid crystals. Here, the authors report a homochiral organic compound which shows ferroelectricity in both solid crystal and liquid crystal phases.
Collapse
|
16
|
Zhang H, Pryds N, Park DS, Gauquelin N, Santucci S, Christensen DV, Jannis D, Chezganov D, Rata DA, Insinga AR, Castelli IE, Verbeeck J, Lubomirsky I, Muralt P, Damjanovic D, Esposito V. Atomically engineered interfaces yield extraordinary electrostriction. Nature 2022; 609:695-700. [PMID: 36131038 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05073-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Electrostriction is a property of dielectric materials whereby an applied electric field induces a mechanical deformation proportional to the square of that field. The magnitude of the effect is usually minuscule (<10-19 m2 V-2 for simple oxides). However, symmetry-breaking phenomena at the interfaces can offer an efficient strategy for the design of new properties1,2. Here we report an engineered electrostrictive effect via the epitaxial deposition of alternating layers of Gd2O3-doped CeO2 and Er2O3-stabilized δ-Bi2O3 with atomically controlled interfaces on NdGaO3 substrates. The value of the electrostriction coefficient achieved is 2.38 × 10-14 m2 V-2, exceeding the best known relaxor ferroelectrics by three orders of magnitude. Our theoretical calculations indicate that this greatly enhanced electrostriction arises from coherent strain imparted by interfacial lattice discontinuity. These artificial heterostructures open a new avenue for the design and manipulation of electrostrictive materials and devices for nano/micro actuation and cutting-edge sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haiwu Zhang
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Nini Pryds
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Dae-Sung Park
- Group for Ferroelectrics and Functional Oxides, Institute of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Gauquelin
- Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Simone Santucci
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dennis V Christensen
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daen Jannis
- Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dmitry Chezganov
- Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Diana A Rata
- Institut für Physik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Andrea R Insinga
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ivano E Castelli
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Johan Verbeeck
- Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Igor Lubomirsky
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Paul Muralt
- Institute of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne - EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dragan Damjanovic
- Group for Ferroelectrics and Functional Oxides, Institute of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincenzo Esposito
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Xiao YY, Jiang ZC, Hou JB, Chen XS, Zhao Y. Electrically driven liquid crystal network actuators. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4850-4867. [PMID: 35730498 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00544a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Soft actuators based on liquid crystal networks (LCNs) have aroused great scientific interest for use as stimuli-controlled shape-changing and moving components for robotic devices due to their fast, large, programmable and solvent-free actuation responses. Recently, various LCN actuators have been implemented in soft robotics using stimulus sources such as heat, light, humidity and chemical reactions. Among them, electrically driven LCN actuators allow easy modulation and programming of the input electrical signals (amplitude, phase, and frequency) as well as stimulation throughout the volume, rendering them promising actuators for practical applications. Herein, the progress of electrically driven LCN actuators regarding their construction, actuation mechanisms, actuation performance, actuation programmability and the design strategies for intelligent systems is elucidated. We also discuss new robotic functions and advanced actuation control. Finally, an outlook is provided, highlighting the research challenges faced with this type of actuator.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Yu Xiao
- Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| | - Zhi-Chao Jiang
- Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| | - Jun-Bo Hou
- Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| | - Xin-Shi Chen
- Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| | - Yue Zhao
- Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Maksimkin AV, Dayyoub T, Telyshev DV, Gerasimenko AY. Electroactive Polymer-Based Composites for Artificial Muscle-like Actuators: A Review. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12132272. [PMID: 35808110 PMCID: PMC9268644 DOI: 10.3390/nano12132272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Unlike traditional actuators, such as piezoelectric ceramic or metallic actuators, polymer actuators are currently attracting more interest in biomedicine due to their unique properties, such as light weight, easy processing, biodegradability, fast response, large active strains, and good mechanical properties. They can be actuated under external stimuli, such as chemical (pH changes), electric, humidity, light, temperature, and magnetic field. Electroactive polymers (EAPs), called ‘artificial muscles’, can be activated by an electric stimulus, and fixed into a temporary shape. Restoring their permanent shape after the release of an electrical field, electroactive polymer is considered the most attractive actuator type because of its high suitability for prosthetics and soft robotics applications. However, robust control, modeling non-linear behavior, and scalable fabrication are considered the most critical challenges for applying the soft robotic systems in real conditions. Researchers from around the world investigate the scientific and engineering foundations of polymer actuators, especially the principles of their work, for the purpose of a better control of their capability and durability. The activation method of actuators and the realization of required mechanical properties are the main restrictions on using actuators in real applications. The latest highlights, operating principles, perspectives, and challenges of electroactive materials (EAPs) such as dielectric EAPs, ferroelectric polymers, electrostrictive graft elastomers, liquid crystal elastomers, ionic gels, and ionic polymer–metal composites are reviewed in this article.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksey V. Maksimkin
- Institute for Bionic Technologies and Engineering, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street 2-4, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.V.T.); (A.Y.G.)
- Correspondence: (A.V.M.); (T.D.)
| | - Tarek Dayyoub
- Institute for Bionic Technologies and Engineering, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street 2-4, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.V.T.); (A.Y.G.)
- Correspondence: (A.V.M.); (T.D.)
| | - Dmitry V. Telyshev
- Institute for Bionic Technologies and Engineering, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street 2-4, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.V.T.); (A.Y.G.)
- Institute of Biomedical Systems, National Research University of Electronic Technology, 124498 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Yu. Gerasimenko
- Institute for Bionic Technologies and Engineering, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street 2-4, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.V.T.); (A.Y.G.)
- Institute of Biomedical Systems, National Research University of Electronic Technology, 124498 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wang Y, Sun J, Liao W, Yang Z. Liquid Crystal Elastomer Twist Fibers toward Rotating Microengines. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2107840. [PMID: 34933404 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202107840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Untethered twist fibers do not require end-anchoring structures to hold their twist orientation and offer simple designs and convenient operation. The reversible responsiveness of these fibers allows them to generate torque and rotational deformation continuously upon the application of external stimuli. The fibers therefore have potential in rotating microengines. In practical applications, high torque and rotational deformation are desirable to meet work capacity requirements. However, the simultaneous endowment of reversible responsiveness and high rotational performance to untethered twist fibers remains a challenge. In this study, a liquid crystal elastomer twist fiber (LCETF) is designed and developed with a fixed twisting alignment of mesogens to provide untethered and reversible responsiveness. Outstanding rotational performance can be achieved when the mesogenic orientation is disrupted through heat triggering. Owing to the significant intrinsic contractile ratio of the LCE material, the rotational deformation of the LCETF can reach 243.6° mm-1 . More importantly, the specific torque can reach 10.1 N m kg-1 , which exceeds previously reported values. In addition, the LCETF can be exploited in a rotating microengine to convert heat into electricity with an induction voltage as high as 9.4 V. This work broadens the applications of LCEs for energy harvesters, micromachines, and soft robots.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunpeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jiahao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wei Liao
- Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Zhongqiang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Liu Z, Guo G, Liao J, Yuan Y, Zhang H. Manipulated and Improved Photoinduced Deformation Property of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystal Elastomers by Copolymerization. Macromol Rapid Commun 2022; 43:e2100717. [PMID: 35083802 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Guangqiang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Junqiu Liao
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Yongjie Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Hailiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Yang J, Gong J, Tao L, Tang Z, Yang Z, Cao P, Wang Q, Wang T, Luo H, Zhang Y. Reconfigurable and NIR-responsive shape memory polymer containing bipheunit units and graphene. Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s41428-021-00609-5] [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]
|
22
|
Abstract
Magnetic soft materials (MSMs) and magnetic shape memory polymers (MSMPs) have been some of the most intensely investigated newly developed material types in the last decade, thanks to the great and versatile potential of their innovative characteristic behaviors such as remote and nearly heatless shape transformation in the case of MSMs. With regard to a number of properties such as shape recovery ratio, manufacturability, cost or programming potential, MSMs and MSMPs may exceed conventional shape memory materials such as shape memory alloys or shape memory polymers. Nevertheless, MSMs and MSMPs have not yet fully touched their scientific-industrial potential, basically due to the lack of detailed knowledge on various aspects of their constitutive response. Therefore, MSMs and MSMPs have been developed slowly but their importance will undoubtedly increase in the near future. This review emphasizes the development of MSMs and MSMPs with a specific focus on the role of the magnetic particles which affect the shape memory recovery and programming behavior of these materials. In addition, the synthesis and application of these materials are addressed.
Collapse
|
23
|
Zhu Z, Rui G, Li R, He H, Zhu L. Enhancing Electrostrictive Actuation via Strong Electrostatic Repulsion among Field-Induced Nanodomains in a Relaxor Ferroelectric Poly(vinylidene fluoride- co-trifluoroethylene- co-chlorotrifluoroethylene) Random Terpolymer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:42063-42073. [PMID: 34435499 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Electrostrictive polymers having a large strain are desirable for actuation, sensing, and energy harvesting in wearable electronics and soft robotics. However, a high electric field (>100 MV/m) is usually required for current electrostrictive polymers. To realize large electrostriction at reduced electric fields, the fundamental electrostriction mechanism needs to be better understood. In response to this need, the structure and electrostrictive properties of relaxor ferroelectric (RFE) poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)] random terpolymers films with different thermal annealing histories were studied in this work. First, the semicrystalline structure of the P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer films was studied by combined small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray diffraction analyses. A three-phase model was employed, namely, crystals and oriented and isotropic amorphous fractions (OAF and IAF). The bulky CTFE units generated taut-tie molecules (TTM) in the crystalline lamella, dividing it into many nanosized crystals (∼1.3 nm thick). It is this unique crystalline structure with nanocrystals and mobile TTM/OAF that enabled the RFE behavior for the P(VDF-TrFE)-based terpolymers. Through electrostriction measurements and nonlinear dielectric analysis, an inverse correlation was observed between the ferroelectric nonlinearity and the electrostrictive coefficient under a high poling electric field (>100 MV/m). This suggested that higher electrostriction performance could be achieved by decreasing the ferroelectric nonlinearity of the RFE terpolymer. Indeed, above the Curie temperature, the paraelectric terpolymer films achieved a high electrostrictive performance with the transverse strain being ∼5% at 200 MV/m. This was attributed to the strong electrostatic repulsion among electric field-induced ferroelectric nanodomains. The finding from this work provides a viable way to design new electrostrictive polymers with higher performance at low driving fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwen Zhu
- National Engineering Research Center of Novel Equipment for Polymer Processing, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Technique and Equipment for Macromolecular Advanced Manufacturing, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, P. R. China
| | - Guanchun Rui
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7202, United States
| | - Ruipeng Li
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Hezhi He
- National Engineering Research Center of Novel Equipment for Polymer Processing, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Technique and Equipment for Macromolecular Advanced Manufacturing, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, P. R. China
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7202, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Levine DJ, Turner KT, Pikul JH. Materials with Electroprogrammable Stiffness. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2007952. [PMID: 34245062 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202007952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Stiffness is a mechanical property of vital importance to any material system and is typically considered a static quantity. Recent work, however, has shown that novel materials with programmable stiffness can enhance the performance and simplify the design of engineered systems, such as morphing wings, robotic grippers, and wearable exoskeletons. For many of these applications, the ability to program stiffness with electrical activation is advantageous because of the natural compatibility with electrical sensing, control, and power networks ubiquitous in autonomous machines and robots. The numerous applications for materials with electrically driven stiffness modulation has driven a rapid increase in the number of publications in this field. Here, a comprehensive review of the available materials that realize electroprogrammable stiffness is provided, showing that all current approaches can be categorized as using electrostatics or electrically activated phase changes, and summarizing the advantages, limitations, and applications of these materials. Finally, a perspective identifies state-of-the-art trends and an outlook of future opportunities for the development and use of materials with electroprogrammable stiffness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J Levine
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics, 220 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kevin T Turner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics, 220 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - James H Pikul
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics, 220 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Zentel R. LC‐Polymers and Smectic Phases with Special Substructures/Nanophase Segregation. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202100216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Zentel
- Department of Chemistry Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Duesbergweg 10–14 D‐55128 Mainz Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
|
27
|
Long Rod-Like Liquid Crystal Containing Azobenzene and the Applications in Phase-Transition Regulation and Orientation of Nematic Liquid Crystal. CRYSTALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst11040418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Phase-transition and orientation of liquid crystal (LC) are two crucial factors for LC application. In this work, a long rod-like LC compound containing double azobenzene (M1) is successfully designed and synthesized. The combing technologies of nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR, 13C NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are used to identify the chemical structure of the molecule. Additionally, the polarized optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and one-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (1D WAXD) experimental results show that M1 exhibits an ultrawide range of LC phases and a stable LC structure even at ultrahigh temperature, which indicates that this LC can be applied in some especial devices. Further, the compound M1 is used to tune the LC temperature range of the commercial LC 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB). A series of samples 1–7 are obtained through doping different contents of M1, which show different LC temperature ranges that are dependent on the composition ratio of M1 and 5CB. More interestingly, all resultant samples show spontaneous vertical orientation on the hydrophilic glass substrate. Meanwhile, due to the effect of azobenzene in the compound M1, a reversible transition between homeotropic to random orientation of the LC molecules is achieved when these LC cells are alternately exposed to UV irradiation and visible light, which implies that this material shows potential application in especial display and optical storage technologies.
Collapse
|
28
|
Liu Z, He L, Gui Q, Yuan Y, Zhang H. Preparation, property manipulation and application of ɑ-cyanostilbene-containing photoresponsive liquid crystal elastomers with different alkoxy tail length. Eur Polym J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2021.110332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
29
|
Jiao D, Lossada F, Guo J, Skarsetz O, Hoenders D, Liu J, Walther A. Electrical switching of high-performance bioinspired nanocellulose nanocomposites. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1312. [PMID: 33637751 PMCID: PMC7910463 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21599-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature fascinates with living organisms showing mechanically adaptive behavior. In contrast to gels or elastomers, it is profoundly challenging to switch mechanical properties in stiff bioinspired nanocomposites as they contain high fractions of immobile reinforcements. Here, we introduce facile electrical switching to the field of bioinspired nanocomposites, and show how the mechanical properties adapt to low direct current (DC). This is realized for renewable cellulose nanofibrils/polymer nanopapers with tailor-made interactions by deposition of thin single-walled carbon nanotube electrode layers for Joule heating. Application of DC at specific voltages translates into significant electrothermal softening via dynamization and breakage of the thermo-reversible supramolecular bonds. The altered mechanical properties are reversibly switchable in power on/power off cycles. Furthermore, we showcase electricity-adaptive patterns and reconfiguration of deformation patterns using electrode patterning techniques. The simple and generic approach opens avenues for bioinspired nanocomposites for facile application in adaptive damping and structural materials, and soft robotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dejin Jiao
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Francisco Lossada
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jiaqi Guo
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Skarsetz
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Hoenders
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- A3BMS Lab, Department of Chemistry, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jin Liu
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Walther
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
- Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
- A3BMS Lab, Department of Chemistry, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT-Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wang Y, Dang A, Zhang Z, Yin R, Gao Y, Feng L, Yang S. Repeatable and Reprogrammable Shape Morphing from Photoresponsive Gold Nanorod/Liquid Crystal Elastomers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e2004270. [PMID: 33043501 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202004270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are of interest for applications such as soft robotics and shape-morphing devices. Among the different actuation mechanisms, light offers advantages such as spatial and local control of actuation via the photothermal effect. However, the unwanted aggregation of the light-absorbing nanoparticles in the LCE matrix will limit the photothermal response speed, actuation performance, and repeatability. Herein, a near-infrared-responsive LCE composite consisting of up to 0.20 wt% poly(ethylene glycol)-modified gold nanorods (AuNRs) without apparent aggregation is demonstrated. The high Young's modulus, 20.3 MPa, and excellent photothermal performance render repeated and fast actuation of the films (actuation within 5 s and recovery in 2 s) when exposed to 800 nm light at an average output power of ≈1.0 W cm-2 , while maintaining a large actuation strain (56%). Further, it is shown that the same sheet of AuNR/LCE film (100 µm thick) can be morphed into different shapes simply by varying the motifs of the photomasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alei Dang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Zhifeng Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 200 S 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Rui Yin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Yuchong Gao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Liang Feng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 200 S 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Shu Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Wang L, Urbas AM, Li Q. Nature-Inspired Emerging Chiral Liquid Crystal Nanostructures: From Molecular Self-Assembly to DNA Mesophase and Nanocolloids. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1801335. [PMID: 30160812 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201801335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) are omnipresent in living matter, whose chirality is an elegant and distinct feature in certain plant tissues, the cuticles of crabs, beetles, arthropods, and beyond. Taking inspiration from nature, researchers have recently devoted extensive efforts toward developing chiral liquid crystalline materials with self-organized nanostructures and exploring their potential applications in diverse fields ranging from dynamic photonics to energy and safety issues. In this review, an account on the state of the art of emerging chiral liquid crystalline nanostructured materials and their technological applications is provided. First, an overview on the significance of chiral liquid crystalline architectures in various living systems is given. Then, the recent significant progress in different chiral liquid crystalline systems including thermotropic LCs (cholesteric LCs, cubic blue phases, achiral bent-core LCs, etc.) and lyotropic LCs (DNA LCs, nanocellulose LCs, and graphene oxide LCs) is showcased. The review concludes with a perspective on the future scope, opportunities, and challenges in these truly advanced functional soft materials and their promising applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Augustine M Urbas
- Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 45433, USA
| | - Quan Li
- Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wang X, Wang Y, Wang X, Niu H, Ridi B, Shu J, Fang X, Li C, Wang B, Gao Y, Sun L, Cao M. A study of the microwave actuation of a liquid crystalline elastomer. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:7332-7341. [PMID: 32685953 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00493f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We present a method for actuating LCE materials by microwave radiation. The microwave actuation performance of a polysiloxane-based nematic liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) was investigated. The microwave-material interaction caused a dipolar loss, which created a heating effect to trigger the nematic-isotropic transition of the LCE matrix, thus leading to the deformation actuation of the LCE material. This energy conversion from radiant energy to thermal energy provided a contactless pathway to actuate the LCE material without the aid of other components acting as energy converters. The LCE demonstrated rapid maximum contraction upon microwave irradiation, and this microwave-stimulated response was fully reversible when the microwave irradiation was switched off. More importantly, the microwave actuation exhibited superiority relative to photo-actuation, which is the usual method of contactless actuation. The microwaves can penetrate the opaque thick barriers to effectively actuate the LCE due to their strong penetrability; they can also penetrate multiple LCE samples and actuate them almost simultaneously. By taking advantage of the salient features of microwave actuation, a microwave detector system, implementing the LCE as an actuator material, was fabricated. This demonstrated the performance of monitoring microwave irradiation intensities with good sensitivity and convenient manipulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiuxiu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China. and Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Process and Technology for High-Efficiency Conversion, School of Chemistry and Material Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Yuchang Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Xixi Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Hongyan Niu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Buyinga Ridi
- Key Laboratory of Electronics Engineering, College of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Jincheng Shu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaoyong Fang
- School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, P. R. China
| | - Chensha Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Binsong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Process and Technology for High-Efficiency Conversion, School of Chemistry and Material Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Yachen Gao
- Key Laboratory of Electronics Engineering, College of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Liguo Sun
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Process and Technology for High-Efficiency Conversion, School of Chemistry and Material Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Maosheng Cao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Horodecka S, Strachota A, Mossety-Leszczak B, Šlouf M, Zhigunov A, Vyroubalová M, Kaňková D, Netopilík M. Meltable copolymeric elastomers based on polydimethylsiloxane with multiplets of pendant liquid-crystalline groups as physical crosslinker: A self-healing structural material with a potential for smart applications. Eur Polym J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.109962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
34
|
Lyu X, Xiao A, Shi D, Li Y, Shen Z, Chen EQ, Zheng S, Fan XH, Zhou QF. Liquid crystalline polymers: Discovery, development, and the future. POLYMER 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2020.122740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
35
|
Wang M, Cheng ZW, Zuo B, Chen XM, Huang S, Yang H. Liquid Crystal Elastomer Electric Locomotives. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:860-865. [PMID: 35648519 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In this letter, we present an electro-driven cylindrical actuator system composed of a bilayered liquid crystal elastomer/carbon black (LCE/CB) electro-driven soft actuator and a conductive track. The bilayered LCE/CB electro-driven actuator consists of an inner LCE circular band and several U-shaped CB conductive regions stuck on the outer surface of the LCE ring. Benefiting from the effective Joule heating of CB powder and the consequential inhomogeneous stress generated inside the bilayered LCE/CB film, the cylindrical actuator can roll forward with a rate of 1.6 mm/s along a stationary copper conductive track powered by a 50 V direct current supply. The dynamic connection between the rolling actuator and the conductive track effectively eliminates the limitation of electric wires in the complicated actuation set-ups of the LCE materials. This work might promote the development of electro-driven LCE actuators and have potential applications in the fields of soft robots and electric devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Institute of Advanced Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Zhi-Wen Cheng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Institute of Advanced Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Bo Zuo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Institute of Advanced Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Xu-Man Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Institute of Advanced Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Shuai Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Institute of Advanced Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Hong Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Institute of Advanced Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Zhao D, Liu Y. Light-induced spontaneous bending of a simply supported liquid crystal elastomer rectangular plate. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:042701. [PMID: 32422828 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.042701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Designing the director alignment of a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) is a key tuning approach for LCE based smart devices. In this paper, the spontaneous strain of the LCE with arbitrary three-dimensional director orientation is derived, and the governing equation for a simply supported LCE rectangular plate is established. By using the finite difference method, the bending configurations are obtained. Different from the freestanding case, three bending modes, that is, unimodal, bimodal, and trimodal modes, are observed for the simply supported rectangular LCE plate. The relation between the bending modes and the director orientation is established. This paper enhances the understanding and facilitates the design of LCE based intelligent light driven devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Zhao
- School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
McCracken JM, Donovan BR, White TJ. Materials as Machines. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1906564. [PMID: 32133704 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201906564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Machines are systems that harness input power to extend or advance function. Fundamentally, machines are based on the integration of materials with mechanisms to accomplish tasks-such as generating motion or lifting an object. An emerging research paradigm is the design, synthesis, and integration of responsive materials within or as machines. Herein, a particular focus is the integration of responsive materials to enable robotic (machine) functions such as gripping, lifting, or motility (walking, crawling, swimming, and flying). Key functional considerations of responsive materials in machine implementations are response time, cyclability (frequency and ruggedness), sizing, payload capacity, amenability to mechanical programming, performance in extreme environments, and autonomy. This review summarizes the material transformation mechanisms, mechanical design, and robotic integration of responsive materials including shape memory alloys (SMAs), piezoelectrics, dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), ionic electroactive polymers (IEAPs), pneumatics and hydraulics systems, shape memory polymers (SMPs), hydrogels, and liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) and networks (LCNs). Structural and geometrical fabrication of these materials as wires, coils, films, tubes, cones, unimorphs, bimorphs, and printed elements enables differentiated mechanical responses and consistently enables and extends functional use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joselle M McCracken
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Brian R Donovan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Timothy J White
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
van der Kooij H, Broer DJ, Liu D, Sprakel J. Electroplasticization of Liquid Crystal Polymer Networks. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:19927-19937. [PMID: 32267679 PMCID: PMC7193546 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c01748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Shape-shifting liquid crystal networks (LCNs) can transform their morphology and properties in response to external stimuli. These active and adaptive polymer materials can have impact in a diversity of fields, including haptic displays, energy harvesting, biomedicine, and soft robotics. Electrically driven transformations in LCN coatings are particularly promising for application in electronic devices, in which electrodes are easily integrated and allow for patterning of the functional response. The morphing of these coatings, which are glassy in the absence of an electric field, relies on a complex interplay between polymer viscoelasticity, liquid crystal order, and electric field properties. Morphological transformations require the material to undergo a glass transition that plasticizes the polymer sufficiently to enable volumetric and shape changes. Understanding how an alternating current can plasticize very stiff, densely cross-linked networks remains an unresolved challenge. Here, we use a nanoscale strain detection method to elucidate this electric-field-induced devitrification of LCNs. We find how a high-frequency alternating field gives rise to pronounced nanomechanical changes at a critical frequency, which signals the electrical glass transition. Across this transition, collective motion of the liquid crystal molecules causes the network to yield from within, leading to network weakening and subsequent nonlinear expansion. These results unambiguously prove the existence of electroplasticization. Fine-tuning the induced emergence of plasticity will not only enhance the surface functionality but also enable more efficient conversion of electrical energy into mechanical work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanne
M. van der Kooij
- Physical Chemistry
and Soft Matter, Wageningen University &
Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Dutch
Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600 AX Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J. Broer
- Stimuli-Responsive Functional Materials and Devices, Department of
Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Danqing Liu
- Stimuli-Responsive Functional Materials and Devices, Department of
Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Joris Sprakel
- Physical Chemistry
and Soft Matter, Wageningen University &
Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
|
40
|
Bohannon CA, Kwok MH, Li R, Zhu L, Zhao B. Effects of tacticity and chiral center-to-dipole distance on mesogen-free liquid crystalline self-assembly of sulfonyl-containing comb-like polymers. Polym Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py00199f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Mesogen-free comb-like polyethers bearing strongly interacting mono- and di-sulfonylated side chains exhibit well-defined liquid crystalline self-assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Man-Hin Kwok
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry
- Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland
- USA
| | - Ruipeng Li
- National Synchrotron Light Source II
- Brookhaven National Laboratory
- Upton
- USA
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry
- Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland
- USA
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Tennessee
- Knoxville
- USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Liu ZC, Zuo B, Lu HF, Wang M, Huang S, Chen XM, Lin BP, Yang H. A copper(i)-catalyzed azide–alkyne click chemistry approach towards multifunctional two-way shape-memory actuators. Polym Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py00217h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Here we report a copper(i)-catalyzed azide–alkyne click chemistry approach towards the fabrication of main chain liquid crystal elastomers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Cheng Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| | - Bo Zuo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| | - Hai-Feng Lu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| | - Meng Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| | - Shuai Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| | - Xu-Man Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| | - Bao-Ping Lin
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| | - Hong Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Molecular Ferroelectrics
- Institute of Advanced Materials
- Southeast University
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Liu Z, Liao J, He L, Gui Q, Yuan Y, Zhang H. Preparation, photo-induced deformation behavior and application of hydrogen-bonded crosslinked liquid crystalline elastomers based on α-cyanostilbene. Polym Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py01060j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A series of high-performance α-cyanostilbene-based photoresponsive LCEs were prepared, and their application in information encryption materials was also explored.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province
- College of Chemistry
- Xiangtan University
- Xiangtan 411105
| | - Junqiu Liao
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province
- College of Chemistry
- Xiangtan University
- Xiangtan 411105
| | - Lifang He
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province
- College of Chemistry
- Xiangtan University
- Xiangtan 411105
| | - Qin Gui
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province
- College of Chemistry
- Xiangtan University
- Xiangtan 411105
| | - Yongjie Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province
- College of Chemistry
- Xiangtan University
- Xiangtan 411105
| | - Hailiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges and Universities of Hunan Province
- College of Chemistry
- Xiangtan University
- Xiangtan 411105
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Huang X, Ford M, Patterson ZJ, Zarepoor M, Pan C, Majidi C. Shape memory materials for electrically-powered soft machines. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:4539-4551. [DOI: 10.1039/d0tb00392a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We review the recent progress of electrically-powered artificial muscles and soft machines using shape memory alloy and liquid crystal elastomer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Huang
- Soft Machines Lab
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh
- USA
| | - Michael Ford
- Soft Machines Lab
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh
- USA
| | | | - Masoud Zarepoor
- Soft Machines Lab
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh
- USA
- Mechanical Engineering
| | - Chengfeng Pan
- Soft Machines Lab
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh
- USA
| | - Carmel Majidi
- Soft Machines Lab
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh
- USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Qin B, Yang W, Xu J, Wang X, Li X, Li C, Gao Y, Wang QE. Photo-Actuation of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Materials Doped with Visible Absorber Dyes under Quasi-Daylight. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 12:polym12010054. [PMID: 31906200 PMCID: PMC7023533 DOI: 10.3390/polym12010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the effect of visible absorber dyes on the photo-actuation performances of liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) materials under quasi-daylight irradiation. The dye-doped LCE materials were prepared through infiltrating visible absorber dyes into a polysiloxane-based LCE matrix based on its solvent-swollen characteristic. They demonstrated well absorption properties in visible spectrum range and performed strong actuation upon the irradiation from quasi-daylight source, thus indicating that the presence of visible absorber dyes effectively sensitized the LCE materials to light irradiation since the light energy was absorbed by the dyes and then converted into heat to trigger the phase change of LCE matrix. The photo-actuation properties of dye-doped LCE materials with different visible absorber dyes, varied dye contents, and irradiation intensities were investigated. It was shown that the visible absorber dyes with different absorption bands created different photo-actuation performances of LCE materials, the one whose absorption band is near the intensity peak position of quasi-daylight spectrum created the optimum photo-actuation performance. The result disclosed a valuable light utilization way for photo-controlled LCE materials since it revealed that a light-absorbing dye, whose absorption band is in the high intensity region of light spectrum, is capable of effectively utilizing light energy to drive the actuation of LCE materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ban Qin
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China; (B.Q.); (J.X.); (X.W.)
| | - Wenlong Yang
- Department of Applied Science, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150080, China;
| | - Jiaojiao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China; (B.Q.); (J.X.); (X.W.)
| | - Xiuxiu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China; (B.Q.); (J.X.); (X.W.)
| | - Xiangman Li
- Women and Children Health Centre of Xiangfang District, Harbin 150040, China;
| | - Chensha Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China; (B.Q.); (J.X.); (X.W.)
- Correspondence: (C.L.); (Q.-eW.); Tel.: +86-451-8660-8610 (C.L.); +86-10-6898-7110 (Q.-eW.)
| | - Yachen Gao
- Key Laboratory of Electronics Engineering, College of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China;
| | - Qiao-e Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cosmetic, China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
- Correspondence: (C.L.); (Q.-eW.); Tel.: +86-451-8660-8610 (C.L.); +86-10-6898-7110 (Q.-eW.)
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Hu J, Kuang ZY, Tao L, Huang YF, Wang Q, Xie HL, Yin JR, Chen EQ. Programmable 3D Shape-Change Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Based on a Vertically Aligned Monodomain with Cross-link Gradient. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:48393-48401. [PMID: 31786930 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b17393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) as a kind of stimuli-responsive materials, which can be fabricated to present the three-dimensional (3D) change in shape, shows a wide range of applications. Herein, we propose a simple and robust way to prepare a 3D shape-change actuator based on gradient cross-linking of the vertically aligned monodomain of liquid crystals (LCs). First, gold nanoparticles grafted by liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are used to induce the homeotropic orientation of the LC monomer and cross-linkers. Then, photopolymerization under UV irradiation is carried out, which can result in the LCE film with a cross-link gradient. Different from the typical LCEs with homogenous alignment that usually show the shape change of extension/contraction, the obtained vertically aligned LCE film exhibits excellent bendability under a thermal stimulus. The nanoindentation experiment demonstrates that the deformation of LCE films comes from the difference in Young's modulus on two sides of the thin film. Simply scissoring the thin film can prepare the samples with different bending angles under the fixed length. Moreover, using a photomask to pattern the film during photopolymerization can realize the complex 3D deformation, such as bend, fold, and buckling. Further, the patterned LCE film doped with multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified by LCPs (CNT-PDB) can act as a light-fueled microwalker with fast crawl behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hu
- Key Lab of Environment-friendly Chemistry and Application in Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges, Universities of Hunan Province and College of Chemistry , Xiangtan University , Xiangtan , Hunan 411105 , China
| | - Ze-Yang Kuang
- Key Lab of Environment-friendly Chemistry and Application in Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges, Universities of Hunan Province and College of Chemistry , Xiangtan University , Xiangtan , Hunan 411105 , China
| | - Lei Tao
- Key Lab of Environment-friendly Chemistry and Application in Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges, Universities of Hunan Province and College of Chemistry , Xiangtan University , Xiangtan , Hunan 411105 , China
| | - Yi-Fei Huang
- College of Civil Engineering & Mechanics , Xiangtan University , Xiangtan 411105 , Hunan Province, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Key Lab of Environment-friendly Chemistry and Application in Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges, Universities of Hunan Province and College of Chemistry , Xiangtan University , Xiangtan , Hunan 411105 , China
| | - He-Lou Xie
- Key Lab of Environment-friendly Chemistry and Application in Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Materials of Colleges, Universities of Hunan Province and College of Chemistry , Xiangtan University , Xiangtan , Hunan 411105 , China
| | - Jiu-Ren Yin
- College of Civil Engineering & Mechanics , Xiangtan University , Xiangtan 411105 , Hunan Province, China
| | - Er-Qiang Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zentel R. From LC‐polymers to Nanomedicines: Different Aspects of Polymer Science from a Materials Viewpoint. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201900448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Zentel
- Chemistry University of Mainz Duesbergweg 10‐14 D‐55128 Mainz Germany
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Davidson ZS, Shahsavan H, Aghakhani A, Guo Y, Hines L, Xia Y, Yang S, Sitti M. Monolithic shape-programmable dielectric liquid crystal elastomer actuators. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaay0855. [PMID: 31803840 PMCID: PMC6874483 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay0855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Soft robotics may enable many new technologies in which humans and robots physically interact, yet the necessary high-performance soft actuators still do not exist. The optimal soft actuators need to be fast and forceful and have programmable shape changes. Furthermore, they should be energy efficient for untethered applications and easy to fabricate. Here, we combine desirable characteristics from two distinct active material systems: fast and highly efficient actuation from dielectric elastomers and directed shape programmability from liquid crystal elastomers. Via a top-down photoalignment method, we program molecular alignment and localized giant elastic anisotropy into the liquid crystal elastomers. The linearly actuated liquid crystal elastomer monoliths achieve strain rates over 120% per second with an energy conversion efficiency of 20% while moving loads over 700 times the elastomer weight. The electric actuation mechanism offers unprecedented opportunities toward miniaturization with shape programmability, efficiency, and more degrees of freedom for applications in soft robotics and beyond.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoey S. Davidson
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Hamed Shahsavan
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Amirreza Aghakhani
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Yubing Guo
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Lindsey Hines
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Yu Xia
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shu Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
- School of Medicine and School of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Xu J, Chen S, Yang W, Qin B, Wang X, Wang Y, Cao M, Gao Y, Li C, Dong Y. Photo actuation of liquid crystalline elastomer nanocomposites incorporated with gold nanoparticles based on surface plasmon resonance. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:6116-6126. [PMID: 31286128 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm00984a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In this work, according to the characteristic of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of metallic nanoparticles, we investigated the photo actuation performance of a liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) nanocomposite with incorporated gold nanoparticles (nano-gold/LCE nanocomposite). The nano-gold/LCE nanocomposites were fabricated by incorporating gold nanoparticles into a polysiloxane-based LCE matrix via a novel experimental protocol, and characterized by a well-developed SPR absorption band in the visible spectrum range. The nano-gold/LCE nanocomposites demonstrated strong actuation upon irradiation with a quasi-daylight source; the reason lay in that the SPR response of gold nanoparticles performed efficient energy conversion from light energy to thermal energy, and thus offered an activation pathway for the nematic-isotropic transition of the LCE matrix. The nano-gold/LCE nanocomposites underwent rapid maximum axial contraction up to about one third of the original length under light irradiation, and this photo-stimulated muscle-like actuation was fully reversible via the on-off switching of the light source. The photo actuation properties of nano-gold/LCE nanocomposites with varying irradiation intensities and gold nanoparticle content were also investigated. In addition, the nano-gold/LCE nanocomposites demonstrated superior optical nonlinear properties, and revealed potential for the application area of mode-locking for laser technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Shuang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Electronics Engineering, College of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Wenlong Yang
- Department of Applied Science, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150080, P. R. China
| | - Ban Qin
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Xiuxiu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Yuchang Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Maosheng Cao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Yachen Gao
- Key Laboratory of Electronics Engineering, College of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Chensha Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, P. R. China.
| | - Yinmao Dong
- Key Laboratory of Cosmetic, China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
van der Kooij HM, Semerdzhiev SA, Buijs J, Broer DJ, Liu D, Sprakel J. Morphing of liquid crystal surfaces by emergent collectivity. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3501. [PMID: 31383859 PMCID: PMC6683186 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11501-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid crystal surfaces can undergo topographical morphing in response to external cues. These shape-shifting coatings promise a revolution in various applications, from haptic feedback in soft robotics or displays to self-cleaning solar panels. The changes in surface topography can be controlled by tailoring the molecular architecture and mechanics of the liquid crystal network. However, the nanoscopic mechanisms that drive morphological transitions remain unclear. Here, we introduce a frequency-resolved nanostrain imaging method to elucidate the emergent dynamics underlying field-induced shape-shifting. We show how surface morphing occurs in three distinct stages: (i) the molecular dipoles oscillate with the alternating field (10-100 ms), (ii) this leads to collective plasticization of the glassy network (~1 s), (iii) culminating in actuation of the topography (10-100 s). The first stage appears universal and governed by dielectric coupling. By contrast, yielding and deformation rely on a delicate balance between liquid crystal order, field properties and network viscoelasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanne M van der Kooij
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600, AX, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Slav A Semerdzhiev
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600, AX, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jesse Buijs
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Broer
- Stimuli-responsive Functional Materials and Devices, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612, AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600, MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Danqing Liu
- Stimuli-responsive Functional Materials and Devices, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612, AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600, MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Joris Sprakel
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Feng C, Rajapaksha CPH, Cedillo JM, Piedrahita C, Cao J, Kaphle V, Lüssem B, Kyu T, Jákli A. Electroresponsive Ionic Liquid Crystal Elastomers. Macromol Rapid Commun 2019; 40:e1900299. [PMID: 31348584 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201900299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes the preparation, physical properties, and electric bending actuation of a new class of active materials-ionic liquid crystal elastomers (iLCEs). It is demonstrated that iLCEs can be actuated by low-frequency AC or DC voltages of less than 1 V. The bending strains of the unoptimized first iLCEs are already comparable to the well-developed ionic electroactive polymers. Additionally, iLCEs exhibit several novel and superior features, such as the alignment that increases the performance of actuation, the possibility of preprogrammed actuation patterns at the level of the cross-linking process, and dual (thermal and electric) actuations in hybrid samples. Since liquid crystal elastomers are also sensitive to magnetic fields and can also be light sensitive, iLCEs have far-reaching potentials toward multiresponsive actuations that may have so far unmatched properties in soft robotics, sensing, and biomedical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenrun Feng
- Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | | | - Jesus M Cedillo
- Department of Chemistry, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 31030, USA
| | - Camilo Piedrahita
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Jinwei Cao
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Vikash Kaphle
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Björn Lüssem
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Thein Kyu
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Antal Jákli
- Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.,Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| |
Collapse
|