Liquid crystal elastomer coatings with programmed response of surface profile

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) with a strong coupling of orientational molecular order and rubber-like elasticity, show a great potential as working elements in soft robotics, sensing, transport and propulsion systems. We demonstrate a dynamic thermal control of the surface topography of LCE coatings achieved through pre-designed patterns of in-plane molecular orientation. These patterns determine whether the LCE coating develops elevations, depressions, or in-plane deformations. The deterministic dependence of the out-of-plane dynamic surface profile on the in-plane orientational pattern is explained by activation forces. These forces are caused by two factors: (i) stretching-contraction of the polymer networks driven by temperature; (ii) spatially varying orientation of the LCE. The activation force concept brings the responsive LCEs into the domain of active matter. The demonstrated relationship can be used to design programmable coatings with functionalities that mimic biological tissues such as skin.

References in corpus (2)

• Topology and Dynamics of Active Nematic Vesicles
• Topological defect launches 3D mound in the active nematic sheet of neural progenitors

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Design of nematic liquid crystals to control microscale dynamics
• Singularity identification for the characterization of topology, geometry, and motion of nematic disclination lines
• Tunable wrinkling of thin nematic liquid crystal elastomer sheets
• Kinematics and dynamics of disclination lines in three-dimensional nematics
• A blend of stretching and bending in nematic polymer networks
• Anisotropic disclination cores in nematic liquid crystals modelled by a self consistent molecular field theory
• Equilibrium morphology of tactoids in elastically anisotropic nematics
• Computational molecular field theory for nematic liquid crystals
• Dynamical Landau-de Gennes Theory for Electrically-Responsive Liquid Crystal Networks
• Effects of Photopatterning Conditions on Azimuthal Surface Anchoring Strength
• Ridge approximation for thin nematic polymer networks
• Defect Interactions Through Periodic Boundaries in Two-Dimensional $p$-atics