Programming Deformations of 3D Microstructures: Opportunities Enabled by Magnetic Alignment of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

Li, Shucong; Aizenberg, Michael; Lerch, Michael M.; Aizenberg, Joanna

doi:10.1021/accountsmr.3c00101

Acc. Mater. Res.

2023

DOI: 10.1021/accountsmr.3c00101

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Programming Deformations of 3D Microstructures: Opportunities Enabled by Magnetic Alignment of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

Shucong Li,

Michael Aizenberg,

Michael M. Lerch

et al.

Abstract: BiographiesShucong Li received her PhD in Chemistry at Harvard University on polymeric reconfigurable microstructures. She is now a postdoctoral associate at MIT, focusing on hydrogel phase separations, magnetic elastomers, additive manufacturing, and applications in healthcare and energy harvesting systems.

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2024

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Cited by 6 publications

References 72 publications

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Aligning and Observing the Liquid Crystal Director in 3D Using Small Magnetic Fields and a Wedge‐Cell

Gulati,

Sánchez‐Somolinos,

Giesselmann

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

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The mechanical and optical properties of liquid crystalline materials are largely dependent on the director profile. More complex soft robotic functions and programmed optical properties require spatially varying director profiles, ideally in 3D. However, it is challenging to achieve arbitrary director orientation with most established alignment techniques, as one needs to overcome surface interactions, use high electric or magnetic field strengths and temperatures. Another experimental difficulty is that there is a lack of suitable techniques that can be used to characterize the director in 3D. Here, this study first shows that the addition of 5CB to reactive mesogens permits cross‐linked liquid crystalline materials to be fabricated with a spatially varying 3D director profile using weak magnetic fields (0.13 T). This study also shows, how these can be characterized with an optical technique that uses a wedge cell to visualize the programmed 3D director profile. Interestingly, the method also permits the real‐time observation of the director. This work shows that it is possible to precisely control the director in 3D with low magnetic fields and that the dynamics can be directly observed, which facilitates potential applications of soft liquid crystalline (LC) gels and potentially also elastomers.

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Aligning and Observing the Liquid Crystal Director in 3D Using Small Magnetic Fields and a Wedge‐Cell

Gulati,

Sánchez‐Somolinos,

Giesselmann

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Digital Light Process 3D Printing of Magnetically Aligned Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Free–forms

Herman,

Telles,

Cook

et al. 2024

Advanced Materials

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Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are anisotropic soft materials capable of large dimensional changes when subjected to a stimulus. The magnitude and directionality of the stimuli‐induced thermomechanical response is associated with the alignment of the LCE. Recent reports detail the preparation of LCEs by additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, predominately using direct ink write printing. Another AM technique, digital light process (DLP) 3D printing, has generated significant interest as it affords LCE free‐forms with high fidelity and resolution. However, one challenge of printing LCEs using vat polymerization methods such as DLP is enforcing alignment. Here, we document the preparation of aligned, main‐chain LCEs via DLP 3D printing using a 100 mT magnetic field. Systematic examination isolates the contribution of magnetic field strength, alignment time, and build layer thickness on the degree of orientation in 3D printed LCEs. Informed by this fundamental understanding, DLP is used to print complex LCE free‐forms with through‐thickness variation in both spatial orientations. The hierarchical variation in spatial orientation within LCE free‐forms is used to produce objects that exhibit mechanical instabilities upon heating. DLP printing of aligned LCEs opens new opportunities to fabricate stimuli‐responsive materials in form factors optimized for functional use in soft robotics and energy absorption.

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Programming hierarchical anisotropy in microactuators for multimodal actuation

Wang,

Li,

Zhao

et al. 2024

Lab Chip

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Programming Deformations of 3D Microstructures: Opportunities Enabled by Magnetic Alignment of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

Cited by 6 publications

References 72 publications

Aligning and Observing the Liquid Crystal Director in 3D Using Small Magnetic Fields and a Wedge‐Cell

Aligning and Observing the Liquid Crystal Director in 3D Using Small Magnetic Fields and a Wedge‐Cell

Digital Light Process 3D Printing of Magnetically Aligned Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Free–forms

Programming hierarchical anisotropy in microactuators for multimodal actuation

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