DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Real-Time Alignment and Reorientation of Polymer Chains in Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Abstract

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) exhibit soft elasticity due to the alignment and reorientation of mesogens upon mechanical loading, which provides additional mechanisms to absorb and dissipate energy. This enhanced response makes LCEs potentially transformative materials for biomedical devices, tissue replacements, and protective equipment. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in understanding the highly rate-dependent dissipative behaviors of LCEs due to the lack of real-time characterization techniques that probe the microscale network structure and link it to the mechanical deformation of LCEs. In this work, we employ in situ optical measurements to evaluate the alignment and reorientation degree of mesogens in LCEs. The data are correlated to the quantitative physical analysis using polarized Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The time scale of mesogen alignment is determined at different strain levels and loading rates. The mesogen reorientation kinetics is characterized to establish its relationship with the macroscale tensile strain, and compared to theoretical predictions. Overall, this work provides the first detailed study on the time-dependent evolution of mesogen alignment and reorientation in deformed LCEs. It also provides an effective and more accessible approach for other researchers to investigate the structural-property relationships of different types of polymers.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Univ. of Colorado, Denver, CO (United States)
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1838186
Report Number(s):
SAND2021-15896J
Journal ID: ISSN 1944-8244; 702353
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0003525; CMMI-204661
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1944-8244
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; mesogen alignment; reorientation; polarized optimal measurements; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy; liquid crystal elastomer; real-time characterization

Citation Formats

Luo, Chaoqian, Chung, Christopher, Yakacki, Christopher M., Long, Kevin, and Yu, Kai. Real-Time Alignment and Reorientation of Polymer Chains in Liquid Crystal Elastomers. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1021/acsami.1c20082.
Luo, Chaoqian, Chung, Christopher, Yakacki, Christopher M., Long, Kevin, & Yu, Kai. Real-Time Alignment and Reorientation of Polymer Chains in Liquid Crystal Elastomers. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c20082
Luo, Chaoqian, Chung, Christopher, Yakacki, Christopher M., Long, Kevin, and Yu, Kai. Tue . "Real-Time Alignment and Reorientation of Polymer Chains in Liquid Crystal Elastomers". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c20082. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1838186.
@article{osti_1838186,
title = {Real-Time Alignment and Reorientation of Polymer Chains in Liquid Crystal Elastomers},
author = {Luo, Chaoqian and Chung, Christopher and Yakacki, Christopher M. and Long, Kevin and Yu, Kai},
abstractNote = {Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) exhibit soft elasticity due to the alignment and reorientation of mesogens upon mechanical loading, which provides additional mechanisms to absorb and dissipate energy. This enhanced response makes LCEs potentially transformative materials for biomedical devices, tissue replacements, and protective equipment. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in understanding the highly rate-dependent dissipative behaviors of LCEs due to the lack of real-time characterization techniques that probe the microscale network structure and link it to the mechanical deformation of LCEs. In this work, we employ in situ optical measurements to evaluate the alignment and reorientation degree of mesogens in LCEs. The data are correlated to the quantitative physical analysis using polarized Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The time scale of mesogen alignment is determined at different strain levels and loading rates. The mesogen reorientation kinetics is characterized to establish its relationship with the macroscale tensile strain, and compared to theoretical predictions. Overall, this work provides the first detailed study on the time-dependent evolution of mesogen alignment and reorientation in deformed LCEs. It also provides an effective and more accessible approach for other researchers to investigate the structural-property relationships of different types of polymers.},
doi = {10.1021/acsami.1c20082},
journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces},
number = 1,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 21 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Tue Dec 21 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Prediction of temperature-dependent free recovery behaviors of amorphous shape memory polymers
journal, January 2012


Scanning conoscopy measurement of the optical properties of chiral smectic liquid crystals
journal, November 2008


3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomeric Actuators with Spatially Programed Nematic Order
journal, January 2018

  • Kotikian, Arda; Truby, Ryan L.; Boley, John William
  • Advanced Materials, Vol. 30, Issue 10
  • DOI: 10.1002/adma.201706164

High strain actuation liquid crystal elastomers via modulation of mesophase structure
journal, January 2017

  • Saed, Mohand O.; Volpe, Ross H.; Traugutt, Nicholas A.
  • Soft Matter, Vol. 13, Issue 41
  • DOI: 10.1039/C7SM01380A

Dynamic soft elasticity in monodomain nematic elastomers
journal, April 2003


Mechanisms of multi-shape memory effects and associated energy release in shape memory polymers
journal, January 2012


The nonequilibrium behaviors of covalent adaptable network polymers during the topology transition
journal, January 2021


Soft elasticity and mechanical damping in liquid crystalline elastomers
journal, June 2001

  • Clarke, S. M.; Tajbakhsh, A. R.; Terentjev, E. M.
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 89, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.1368177

Birefringence measurement of liquid single crystal elastomer swollen with low molecular weight liquid crystal
journal, November 2003


Liquid-crystal order during synthesis affects main-chain liquid-crystal elastomer behavior
journal, January 2017

  • Traugutt, N. A.; Volpe, R. H.; Bollinger, M. S.
  • Soft Matter, Vol. 13, Issue 39
  • DOI: 10.1039/C7SM01405H

3D printed reversible shape changing soft actuators assisted by liquid crystal elastomers
journal, January 2017

  • Yuan, Chao; Roach, Devin J.; Dunn, Conner K.
  • Soft Matter, Vol. 13, Issue 33
  • DOI: 10.1039/C7SM00759K

Polymeric materials for impact and energy dissipation
journal, September 2006


Liquid crystal elastomers, networks and gels: advanced smart materials
journal, January 2005

  • Xie, Ping; Zhang, Rongben
  • Journal of Materials Chemistry, Vol. 15, Issue 26
  • DOI: 10.1039/b413835j

FTIR spectroscopy of smectic elastomer films under lateral strain
journal, January 2007


Processing and reprocessing liquid crystal elastomer actuators
journal, April 2021

  • Mistry, Devesh; Traugutt, Nicholas A.; Yu, Kai
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 129, Issue 13
  • DOI: 10.1063/5.0044533

Soft elasticity optimises dissipation in 3D-printed liquid crystal elastomers
journal, November 2021


An electro-optic modulation technique for direct and accurate measurement of birefringence
journal, June 2003


Liquid Crystal Elastomers with Mechanical Properties of a Muscle
journal, August 2001

  • Thomsen, Donald L.; Keller, Patrick; Naciri, Jawad
  • Macromolecules, Vol. 34, Issue 17
  • DOI: 10.1021/ma001639q

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers
journal, October 1989


Temperature effect on the diffraction efficiency of the liquid crystal spatial light modulator
journal, November 2006


Polymer foams for personal protection: cushions, shoes and helmets
journal, December 2003


3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams for Enhanced Energy Dissipation Under Mechanical Insult
journal, December 2020

  • Luo, Chaoqian; Chung, Christopher; Traugutt, Nicholas A.
  • ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 13, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c17538

Mechanical energy dissipation in polydomain nematic liquid crystal elastomers in response to oscillating loading
journal, March 2019


Optical Measurements of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals
journal, January 2013

  • El-Dessouki, Tawfik A.; Roushdy, Mohammed; Hendawy, Nabil I.
  • Journal of Modern Physics, Vol. 04, Issue 01
  • DOI: 10.4236/jmp.2013.41008

Uniaxial tension of a nematic elastomer with inclined mesogens
journal, October 2020


Conceptual design of a polymer composite automotive bumper energy absorber
journal, January 2008


Polymer foams to optimize passive safety structures in helmets
journal, September 2007


The modified Beer–Lambert law revisited
journal, February 2006


Molecular Orientation in Liquid Crystal Elastomers
journal, April 2005

  • Anglaret, Eric; Brunet, Monique; Desbat, Bernard
  • Macromolecules, Vol. 38, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.1021/ma050136n

Functionally graded materials: A review of fabrication and properties
journal, December 2016


The Beer-Lambert Law
journal, July 1962

  • Swinehart, D. F.
  • Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 39, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1021/ed039p333

A highly organized three-dimensional alginate scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering prepared by microfluidic technology
journal, October 2011


Measurements of optical anisotropy of a calamitic lyotropic liquid crystal
journal, February 2004

  • Beica, T.; Moldovan, R.; Tintaru, M.
  • Crystal Research and Technology, Vol. 39, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1002/crat.200310163

3D printing of porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds intended for use in bone tissue engineering applications
journal, February 2015

  • Cox, Sophie C.; Thornby, John A.; Gibbons, Gregory J.
  • Materials Science and Engineering: C, Vol. 47
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2014.11.024

Liquid crystal elastomers: an introduction and review of emerging technologies
journal, January 2018


Thiol-acrylate main-chain liquid-crystalline elastomers with tunable thermomechanical properties and actuation strain
journal, October 2016

  • Saed, Mohand O.; Torbati, Amir H.; Starr, Chelsea A.
  • Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol. 55, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1002/polb.24249

Reduced time as a unified parameter determining fixity and free recovery of shape memory polymers
journal, January 2014

  • Yu, Kai; Ge, Qi; Qi, H. Jerry
  • Nature Communications, Vol. 5, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4066

Polyimide Foams for Aerospace Vehicles
journal, March 2000

  • Weiser, Erik S.; Johnson, Theodore F.; St Clair, Terry L.
  • High Performance Polymers, Vol. 12, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1088/0954-0083/12/1/301

Spectroscopic and Thermo–Mechanical Studies of Liquid Crystal Elastomer
journal, August 2015


A thermomechanical constitutive model for an epoxy based shape memory polymer and its parameter identifications
journal, April 2014

  • Yu, Kai; McClung, Amber J. W.; Tandon, Gyaneshwar P.
  • Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials, Vol. 18, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11043-014-9237-5

Liquid‐Crystal‐Elastomer‐Based Dissipative Structures by Digital Light Processing 3D Printing
journal, June 2020

  • Traugutt, Nicholas A.; Mistry, Devesh; Luo, Chaoqian
  • Advanced Materials, Vol. 32, Issue 28
  • DOI: 10.1002/adma.202000797

Discovering the Beer-Lambert Law
journal, November 1994

  • Ricci, Robert W.; Ditzler, Mauri; Nestor, Lisa P.
  • Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 71, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.1021/ed071p983

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers as Actuators and Sensors
journal, May 2010

  • Ohm, Christian; Brehmer, Martin; Zentel, Rudolf
  • Advanced Materials, Vol. 22, Issue 31
  • DOI: 10.1002/adma.200904059

Thermally insulating and fire-retardant lightweight anisotropic foams based on nanocellulose and graphene oxide
journal, November 2014

  • Wicklein, Bernd; Kocjan, Andraž; Salazar-Alvarez, German
  • Nature Nanotechnology, Vol. 10, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2014.248

FTIR-Spectroscopy on Segmental Reorientation of a Nematic Elastomer under External Mechanical Fields
journal, April 2005

  • Tammer, Michael; Li, Jianjun; Komp, Ansgar
  • Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 206, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1002/macp.200500050

Reconfigurable Three‐Dimensional Mesotructures of Spatially Programmed Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Their Ferromagnetic Composites
journal, March 2021


Impact and progress in small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS)
journal, October 2013

  • Graewert, Melissa A.; Svergun, Dmitri I.
  • Current Opinion in Structural Biology, Vol. 23, Issue 5
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2013.06.007

Selected Issues in Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Gels
journal, April 2007


Remotely Controlled, Reversible, On-Demand Assembly and Reconfiguration of 3D Mesostructures via Liquid Crystal Elastomer Platforms
journal, February 2021

  • Li, Yi; Luo, Chaoqian; Yu, Kai
  • ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 13, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c21371

Long Liquid Crystal Elastomer Fibers with Large Reversible Actuation Strains for Smart Textiles and Artificial Muscles
journal, May 2019

  • Roach, Devin J.; Yuan, Chao; Kuang, Xiao
  • ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 11, Issue 21
  • DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b04401

Adaptable liquid crystal elastomers with transesterification-based bond exchange reactions
journal, January 2018

  • Hanzon, Drew W.; Traugutt, Nicholas A.; McBride, Matthew K.
  • Soft Matter, Vol. 14, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1039/C7SM02110K

Tailorable and programmable liquid-crystalline elastomers using a two-stage thiol–acrylate reaction
journal, January 2015

  • Yakacki, C. M.; Saed, M.; Nair, D. P.
  • RSC Advances, Vol. 5, Issue 25
  • DOI: 10.1039/C5RA01039J