Long Liquid Crystal Elastomer Fibers with Large Reversible Actuation Strains for Smart Textiles and Artificial Muscles

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b04401
• Publication Date: 2019-05-07T10:23:58Z
• Authors: Devin J. Roach; Chao Yuan; Xiao Kuang; Vincent Chi-Fung Li; Peter Blake; Marta Lechuga Romero; Irene Hammel; Kai Yu; H. Jerry Qi
• Keywords: Soft Robotics; Mandrel; Microfiber; Smart material

A method for fabricating long, soft, and reversibly actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers by using direct ink write (DIW) printing was developed. Here, the LCE produced based on a two-stage thermal-photo curing reaction between difunctional acrylate monomer thiol. The ink, mixed with nanoclay to increase viscosity, extruded through nozzle onto rotating mandrel obtain long fiber. After printing, fiber first thermally cured mandrel, then mechanically stretched, photocured achieve chain alignment stress-free reversible activation. Upon optimizing viscosity DIW parameters, (up 1.5 m from laboratory) were obtained. resulting had modulus of 2 MPa, 51% actuation strain, failure strain well over 100%. potential these applications demonstrated. knit, sewn, woven form variety smart textiles. also used mimic bicep muscles both large activation force strain. By incorporating further intelligent characteristics, such as conductivity biosensing into single fiber, could be potentially clothing, soft robotics, biomedical devices.