Double Networks of Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers with Enhanced Mechanical Strength.
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Publication Date
2022-01-28Journal Title
Macromolecules
ISSN
0024-9297
Volume
55
Issue
3
Pages
810-820
Language
eng
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
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Lin, X., Zou, W., & Terentjev, E. M. (2022). Double Networks of Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers with Enhanced Mechanical Strength.. Macromolecules, 55 (3), 810-820. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02065
Abstract
Liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are frequently used in soft actuator development. However, applications are limited because LCEs are prone to mechanical failure when subjected to heavy loads and high temperatures during the working cycle. A mechanically tough LCE system offers larger work capacity and lower failure rate for the actuators. Herein, we adopt the double-network strategy, starting with a siloxane-based exchangeable LCE and developing a series of double-network liquid-crystalline elastomers (DN-LCEs) that are mechanically tougher than the initial elastomer. We incorporate diacrylate reacting monomers to fabricate DN-LCEs, some of which have the breaking stress of 40 MPa. We incorporate thermoplastic polyurethane to fabricate a DN-LCE, achieving an enormous ductility of 90 MJ/m<sup>3</sup>. We have also attempted to utilize the aza-Michael chemistry to make a DN-LCE that retains high plasticity because of several bond-exchange mechanisms; however, it failed to produce a stable reprocessable LCE system using conventional ester-based reactive mesogens. Each of these DN-LCEs exhibits unique features and characteristics, which are compared and discussed.
Sponsorship
European Research Council (768659)
Identifiers
35572091, PMC9097525
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02065
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/338186
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