Accordion‐like Actuators of Multiple 3D Patterned Liquid Crystal Polymer Films |
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| Authors: | Laurens T de Haan Vianney Gimenez‐Pinto Andrew Konya Thanh‐Son Nguyen Julien M N Verjans Carlos Sánchez‐Somolinos Jonathan V Selinger Robin L B Selinger Dirk J Broer Albertus P H J Schenning |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Functional Organic Materials and Devices, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands;2. Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA;3. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, CSIC‐Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain |
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| Abstract: | This work describes the fabrication, characterization, and modelling of liquid crystalline polymer network films with a multiple patterned 3D nematic director profile, a stimuli‐responsive material that exhibits complex mechanical actuation under change of temperature or pH. These films have a discrete alternating striped or checkerboard director profile in the plane, and a 90‐degree twist through the depth of the film. When actuated via heating, the striped films deform into accordion‐like folds, while the film patterned with a checkerboard microstructure buckles out‐of‐plane. Furthermore, striped films are fabricated so that they also deform into an accordion shaped fold, by a change of pH in an aqueous environment. Three‐dimensional finite element simulations and elasticity analysis provide insight into the dependence of shape evolution on director microstructure and the sample's aspect ratio. |
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| Keywords: | polymer networks liquid crystals actuators finite‐element analysis |
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