Programmable Complex Shape Changing of Polysiloxane Main-Chain Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints202304.1181.v1
• Publication Date: 2023-05-04T06:16:43Z
• Authors: Yuhe Zhang; Xiuxiu Wang; Wenlong Yang; Huixuan Yan; Xinyu Zhang; Dongxu Han; Yifan He; Chensha Li; Liguo Sun
• Keywords: Morphing; Smart material; Chain (unit); Soft Robotics

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are shape morphing materials whose large and reversible transformation results from the coupling between mobile anisotropic properties of liquid (LC) units rubber elastic polymer networks. Their changing behaviors under stimuli largely directed by LC orientations, therefore various strategies have been developed to spatially modulate alignments. But most methods suffer complex fabrication technologies or intrinsic limitations in applicability. To address this issue, programmable changes some types LCEs, such as polysiloxane side-chain LCEs thiol-acrylate main-chain etc, achieved using a mechanical alignment programming process coupled with two-step crosslinking. Here, we report LCE 2D 3D performances mechanically polydomain two crosslinking steps. The resulting exhibited thermal induced initial programmed shapes due two-way memory first network structure second structure. Our work would be potential for expanding applications actuators, soft robotics smart structures where arbitrary easily morphings needed.