A simple analytical thermo-mechanical model for liquid crystal elastomer bilayer structures

Cui, Yun; Wang, Chengjun; Sim, Kyoseung; Chen, Jin; Li, Yuhang; Xing, Yufeng; Yu, Cunjiang; Song, Jizhou

doi:10.1063/1.5013205

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Thermomechanical models are models where the strain is analytically described in terms of variations of temperature. A commonality among various thermomechanical models is that they apply a constant temperature increase, usually induced by changes in the temperature of the environment [ 117 ]. Examples of thermomechanical models can be found in the works of [ 118 , 119 ].…”

Section: Other Numerical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Methods in Studies of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

et al. 2021

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Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are a type of material with specific features of polymers and of liquid crystals. They exhibit interesting behaviors, i.e., they are able to change their physical properties when met with external stimuli, including heat, light, electric, and magnetic fields. This behavior makes LCEs a suitable candidate for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, artificial muscles, optical devices, microscopy and imaging systems, biosensor devices, and optimization of solar energy collectors. Due to the wide range of applicability, numerical models are needed not only to further our understanding of the underlining mechanics governing LCE behavior, but also to enable the predictive modeling of their behavior under different circumstances for different applications. Given that several mainstream methods are used for LCE modeling, viz. finite element method, Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics, and the growing interest and reliance on computer modeling for predicting the opto-mechanical behavior of complex structures in real world applications, there is a need to gain a better understanding regarding their strengths and weaknesses so that the best method can be utilized for the specific application at hand. Therefore, this investigation aims to not only to present a multitude of examples on numerical studies conducted on LCEs, but also attempts at offering a concise categorization of different methods based on the desired application to act as a guide for current and future research in this field.

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Section: Other Numerical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Methods in Studies of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

et al. 2021

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“…Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are a kind of anisotropic soft active materials that are composed of a network of polymerized mesogenic molecules . The macroscopic shapes of mesostructures made of LCEs are strongly coupled with molecular orientation, because of the synergistic effects of liquid crystallinity and rubber elasticity . The left column of Figure e (iii) shows the shape evolution of off‐axis twist nematic elastomer ribbons .…”

Section: Rolling Assembly Methods and Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micro/Nanoscale 3D Assembly by Rolling, Folding, Curving, and Buckling Approaches

Zhang

2019

Advanced Materials

102

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The miniaturization of electronics has been an important topic of study for several decades. The established roadmaps following Moore's Law have encountered bottlenecks in recent years, as planar processing techniques are already close to their physical limits. To bypass some of the intrinsic challenges of planar technologies, more and more efforts have been devoted to the development of 3D electronics, through either direct 3D fabrication or indirect 3D assembly. Recent research efforts into direct 3D fabrication have focused on the development of 3D transistor technologies and 3D heterogeneous integration schemes, but these technologies are typically constrained by the accessible range of sophisticated 3D geometries and the complexity of the fabrication processes. As an alternative route, 3D assembly methods make full use of mature planar technologies to form predefined 2D precursor structures in the desired materials and sizes, which are then transformed into targeted 3D mesostructures by mechanical deformation. The latest progress in the area of micro/nanoscale 3D assembly, covering the various classes of methods through rolling, folding, curving, and buckling assembly, is discussed, focusing on the design concepts, principles, and applications of different methods, followed by an outlook on the remaining challenges and open opportunities.

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“…Compared to the electrothermal actuators that reported in previous works ( Table 1 ), [ 29,36,41–43 ] this work presents advantages from three aspects, ultrathin thickness, low working temperature (below 70 °C) and the ability of piecewise control. The thin film based actuators are easier to form greater deformations with a relatively small power input.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 95%

“…These results also provide ample evidences that electrically actuation can achieve pricewise control, regardless of the area of radiation that light or heat-driven actuators requires. [28] Compared to the electrothermal actuators that reported in previous works (Table 1), [29,36,[41][42][43] this work presents advantages from three aspects, ultrathin thickness, low working temperature (below 70 °C) and the ability of piecewise control. The thin film based actuators are easier to form greater deformations with a relatively small power input.…”

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confidence: 95%

Bioinspired Ultrathin Piecewise Controllable Soft Robots

Wang

et al. 2021

Adv Materials Technologies

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In nature, animals or plants often use soft organs to move and hunt. Research works on bioinspired materials and devices have attracted more and more interest as which show the potential for future intelligent robots. As key components of soft robots, biomimetic soft actuators are adapted to greater requirements for convenient, accurate, and programmable controlling robots. Here, a class of materials and processing routes of ultrathin actuators are reported for bioinspired piecewise controllable soft robots, where the actuators associate with thermal‐responsible soft silicone thin film with thickness as thin as 45 µm and electrically driven by well mechanical designed metallic thin film electrodes. Multiple electrodes in the robots in charge of individual segments control allow the soft robots exhibiting similar functionalities of animals or plants (for example, imitating the tongue of a reptile, such as chameleon to hunt moving preys, and mimicking vines to tightly wind around objects). These bionic results in the soft robots demonstrate their advantages in precise and flexible operation, which provides a good reference for the future research of intelligent soft actuators and robots.

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A simple analytical thermo-mechanical model for liquid crystal elastomer bilayer structures

Cited by 21 publications

References 33 publications

Numerical Methods in Studies of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Numerical Methods in Studies of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Micro/Nanoscale 3D Assembly by Rolling, Folding, Curving, and Buckling Approaches

Bioinspired Ultrathin Piecewise Controllable Soft Robots

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