Enabling and Localizing Omnidirectional Nonlinear Deformation in Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 30; no. 35; pp. e1802438 - n/a
• Main Authors: Auguste, Anesia D., Ward, Jeremy W., Hardin, James O., Kowalski, Benjamin A., Guin, Tyler C., Berrigan, J. Daniel, White, Timothy J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 29.08.2018
• Subjects: Catastrophic events; Continuity (mathematics); Crystal structure; Crystallinity; Deformation; Deformation mechanisms; Elastomers; Electronic devices; flexible devices; Inkjet printing; liquid crystal elastomers; Liquid crystals; Materials science; nonlinear mechanics; Nonlinear response; Nonlinearity; Orientation; Poisson's ratio; self‐assembly; self-assembly; liquid crystal elastomers; nonlinear mechanics; flexible devices
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201802438

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are widely recognized for their exceptional promise as actuating materials. Here, the comparatively less celebrated but also compelling nonlinear response of these materials to mechanical load is examined. Prior examinations of planarly aligned LCEs exhibit unidi...