Multitemperature Memory Actuation of a Liquid Crystal Polymer Network over a Broad Nematic–Isotropic Phase Transition Induced by Large Strain
作者:Rong Yang, Yue Zhao
关键字:liquid crystal polymers,polymer actuators,mechanically induced phase transition,temperature memory effect
论文来源:期刊
发表时间:2018年
The shape change of a polymer actuator based on liquid crystal network (LCN) generally occurs over a relatively sharp LC-isotropic phase transition. Reported herein is the discovery of an unusual phenomenon and the enabled actuation control for LCN. The smectic phase of a LCN with mesogenic moieties on the chain backbone can be suppressed by high elongation of the specimen, which gives rise to a broad nematic?isotropic phase transition. Consequently, the actuation force and related shape of the actuator can be activated to a given degree by easily varying the temperature over a wide range (35 K for LCN prepared with 500% strain) to adjust the proportion of the order?disorder phase transition. This reversible multitemperature memory actuation can translate into many stable and interconvertible shapes with one single LCN actuator.