Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers
We prepare a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) with a spatially patterned liquid crystal director field from an all-acrylate LCE. Mechanical deformations of this material lead to a complex and spatially varying deformation with localised body rotations, shears and extensions. Together, these dictate th...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Crystals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/10/4/315 |
| _version_ | 1797570286364655616 |
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| author | Devesh Mistry Helen F. Gleeson |
| author_facet | Devesh Mistry Helen F. Gleeson |
| author_sort | Devesh Mistry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We prepare a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) with a spatially patterned liquid crystal director field from an all-acrylate LCE. Mechanical deformations of this material lead to a complex and spatially varying deformation with localised body rotations, shears and extensions. Together, these dictate the evolved shape of the deformed film. Using polarising microscopy, we map the local rotation of the liquid crystal director in Eulerian and Lagrangian frames and use these to determine rules for programming complex, stress-induced mechanical shape deformations of LCEs. Moreover, by applying a recently developed empirical model for the mechanical behaviour of our LCE, we predict the non-uniform stress distributions in our material. These results show the promise of empirical approaches to modelling the anisotropic and nonlinear mechanical responses of LCEs which will be important as the community moves toward realising real-world, LCE-based devices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:23:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f2b0beab74aa4bd2a2d9a1c1b2a2c2c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:23:45Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj.art-f2b0beab74aa4bd2a2d9a1c1b2a2c2c92023-11-19T22:02:30ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522020-04-0110431510.3390/cryst10040315Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal ElastomersDevesh Mistry0Helen F. Gleeson1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKWe prepare a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) with a spatially patterned liquid crystal director field from an all-acrylate LCE. Mechanical deformations of this material lead to a complex and spatially varying deformation with localised body rotations, shears and extensions. Together, these dictate the evolved shape of the deformed film. Using polarising microscopy, we map the local rotation of the liquid crystal director in Eulerian and Lagrangian frames and use these to determine rules for programming complex, stress-induced mechanical shape deformations of LCEs. Moreover, by applying a recently developed empirical model for the mechanical behaviour of our LCE, we predict the non-uniform stress distributions in our material. These results show the promise of empirical approaches to modelling the anisotropic and nonlinear mechanical responses of LCEs which will be important as the community moves toward realising real-world, LCE-based devices.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/10/4/315liquid crystal elastomersempirical modelpolymersliquid crystalsmechanical properties |
| spellingShingle | Devesh Mistry Helen F. Gleeson Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers Crystals liquid crystal elastomers empirical model polymers liquid crystals mechanical properties |
| title | Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers |
| title_full | Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers |
| title_fullStr | Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers |
| title_short | Toward Programmed Complex Stress-Induced Mechanical Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers |
| title_sort | toward programmed complex stress induced mechanical deformations of liquid crystal elastomers |
| topic | liquid crystal elastomers empirical model polymers liquid crystals mechanical properties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/10/4/315 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT deveshmistry towardprogrammedcomplexstressinducedmechanicaldeformationsofliquidcrystalelastomers AT helenfgleeson towardprogrammedcomplexstressinducedmechanicaldeformationsofliquidcrystalelastomers |