Localized soft elasticity in liquid crystal elastomers

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10781
• Publication Date: 2016-02-23T10:05:54Z
• Authors: Taylor H. Ware; John S. Biggins; Andreas F. Shick; Mark Warner; Timothy J. White
• Keywords: Elasticity; Flexural rigidity; Bioelectronics; Rigidity (electromagnetism)

Abstract Synthetic approaches to prepare designer materials that localize deformation, by combining rigidity and compliance in a single material, have been widely sought. Bottom-up approaches, such as the self-organization of liquid crystals, offer potential advantages over top–down patterning methods photolithographic control crosslink density, relating ease preparation fidelity resolution. Here, we report on directed self-assembly with spatial hierarchical variation mechanical anisotropy. The highly nonlinear properties crystalline elastomers examined here enables strain be locally reduced >15-fold without introducing compositional or other heterogeneities. Each domain (⩾0.01 mm 2 ) exhibits anisotropic response load based alignment molecular orientation loading axis. Accordingly, design monoliths deformation uniaxial biaxial tension, shear, bending crack propagation, subsequently demonstrate substrates for globally deformable yet stiff electronics.