3D printing of liquid crystal elastomeric actuators with spatially programed nematic order
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are soft materials capable of large, reversible shape changes, which may find potential application as artificial muscles, soft robots, and dynamic functional architectures. Here, the design and additive manufacturing of LCE actuators (LCEAs) with spatially programed nematic order that exhibit large, reversible, and repeatable contraction with high specific work capacity are reported. First, a photopolymerizable, solvent-free, main-chain LCE ink is created via aza-Michael addition with the appropriate viscoelastic properties for 3D printing. Next, high operating temperature direct ink writing of LCE inks is used to align their mesogen domains along the direction of the print path. To demonstrate the power of this additive manufacturing approach, shape-morphing LCEA architectures are fabricated, which undergo reversible planar-to-3D and 3D-to-3D' transformations on demand, that can lift significantly more weight than other LCEAs reported to date.
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Voxelated LCEs capable of actuating reversibly and exhibiting large work capacities have been produced in thick-film geometries about 1 mm thick via 3D printing.
“Recently, voxelated LCEs, capable of actuating reversibly and exhibiting large work capacities, have been produced in thick-film geometries (about 1 mm thick) via 3D printing [200-204].”
From Two-Way and Multiple-Way Shape Memory Polymers for Soft Robotics: An Overview (2020) · cites this paper as [202]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Kotikian, A., Truby, R. L., Boley, J. W., White, T. J., & Lewis, J. A.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lewis, Jennifer A.
- Venue
- Advanced Materials
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-01-15
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 10
- ISSN
- 0935-9648 (ISSN-L)
- 1521-4095
- OpenAlex
- W2784033758
- Cited by
- 768
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 57 · 2025: 85 · 2024: 121 · 2023: 91 · 2022: 118 · 2021: 110 · 2020: 91 · 2019: 70 · 2018: 25
- FWCI
- 47.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Advanced Materials (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- OpenBU (Boston University) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (DMR‐1420570)
- Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (DMR‐1533985)
- Office of Naval Research (N00014‐16‐1‐2823)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Advanced Materials and Mechanics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials › Liquid Crystal Research Advancements
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer composites and self-healing
- Keywords
- liquid crystal elastomers, 3D printing, direct ink writing, nematic order, shape-changing materials, artificial muscles, soft robotics, aza-Michael addition, mesogen alignment, shape morphing, weightlifting
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