Multi-functional liquid crystal elastomer composites

Applied Physics Reviews, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(1)

Published: Jan. 3, 2022

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), owing to their intrinsic anisotropic property and capability of generating programmable complex morphologies under heat, have been widely used for applications ranging from soft robotics, photonic devices, cell culture, tissue engineering. To fulfill the various circumstances, high actuation efficiency, mechanical strength, large heat electrical conductivity, or responses multiple stimuli are required. Therefore, design fabrication LCE composites a promising strategy enhanced physical properties offer additional LCEs such as light, electric, magnetic fields. In this review, we focus on recent advances in composites, where defined elastomeric materials broader context. Classic with metallic nanoparticles, particles, liquid metal, carbon nanotubes, graphene its derivative, black, cellulose nanocrystals within polymer network can provide unique anisotropy will be discussed. We conclude challenges future research opportunities.

Language: Английский

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Biological Material Interfaces as Inspiration for Mechanical and Optical Material Designs

Chemical Reviews, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 119(24), P. 12279 - 12336

Published: Dec. 3, 2019

The extraordinary properties of biological materials often result from their sophisticated hierarchical structures. Through multilevel and cross-scale structural designs, offset the weakness individual building blocks enhance performance at multiple length scales to match multifunctional needs organisms. One essential merit structure is that it can optimize interfacial features "building blocks" different scales, molecular level macroscale. Understanding roles material interfaces (BMIs) on determination functions has become a growing interdisciplinary research area in recent years. A pivotal aim these studies use BMIs as inspiration for developing bioinspired biomimetic devices with advanced structures functions. Given considerations, this review aims comprehensively discuss structure-property-function relationships nature. We particularly focus discussion inspired mechanical optical perspectives because two directions are most well-investigated closely related. challenges design fabrication BMI-inspired also discussed. This expected garner interest communities well environmental, nanotechnology, food processing, engineering fields.

Language: Английский

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Near‐Infrared Photodriven Self‐Sustained Oscillation of Liquid‐Crystalline Network Film with Predesignated Polydopamine Coating

Advanced Materials, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 32(14)

Published: Feb. 20, 2020

Movement is one of the vital features living systems, and remote control bioinspired soft robotic systems in a precise, contactless harmless way extremely desirable but challenging. A near-infrared (NIR) photodriven polymeric oscillator designed fabricated by selectively coating mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) polymer layer on surface splay-aligned liquid crystalline network (LCN) film. The oscillating motions LCN oscillators can be facilely manipulated tuning light intensity film thickness. More importantly, programmability PDA enables behaviors to predesignated finely adjusted with locally repeatedly. self-oscillating movement mechanism attributed temperature oscillation at PDA-coated since it alternatively exposed sheltered NIR-light irradiations. Owing over 50% NIR irradiation solar spectrum, found oscillate upon exposure focused sunlight, presenting great potential fabrication power generation devices. This provides versatile strategy fabricate NIR-light-actuated oscillators, providing inspirations development biological robots advanced biomimetic

Language: Английский

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Circularly polarized luminescent self‐organized helical superstructures: From materials and stimulus‐responsiveness to applications

Aggregate, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 2(6)

Published: Oct. 22, 2021

Abstract Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) has gained considerable attention in various systems and rapidly developed into an emerging research field. To meet the needs of actual applications diverse fields, a high dissymmetry factor ( g lum ) tunable optical performance CPL would be most urgent pursuit for researchers. Accordingly, many materials strategies have been to address these critical issues. Emissive cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), that is, luminescent self‐organized helical superstructures, are considered ideal candidates constructing CPL‐active materials, as they not only exhibit values, but also enable flexible control CPL. This review mainly summarizes characteristics based on CLCs bulk phase doped with different emitters, including aggregated induced emission molecules, conventional organic small polymer metal–organic complex nanoparticles. In addition, recent significant progress stimulus‐responsive emissive terms several types stimuli, light, electricity, temperature, mechanical force, multiple stimuli is presented. Finally, short perspective opportunities challenges associated CLC field provided. anticipated offer new insights guidelines developing CLC‐based broader applications.

Language: Английский

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Spontaneous Deracemizations

Chemical Reviews, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 121(4), P. 2147 - 2229

Published: Jan. 19, 2021

Spontaneous deracemizations is a challenging, multidisciplinary subject in current chirality research. In the absence of any chiral inductors, an achiral substance or racemic composition driven into enantioenriched even homochiral state through selective energy input, e.g., chemical potential, photoirradiation, mechanical grinding, ultrasound waves, thermal gradients, etc. The most prominent examples such transformations are Soai reaction and Viedma deracemization. this review, we track recent developments topic recall that many other have been reported for solutions from mesophases to conglomerate crystallizations. A compiled set simply available organic, inorganic, organometallic, MOF compounds, yielding crystals, should give impetus realize new experiments on spontaneous deracemizations. Taking account thermodynamic constraints, modeling efforts shown structural features alone not sufficient describe As guideline particular attention paid physicochemical origin symmetry requirements processes.

Language: Английский

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