Simulating Polymeric Microstructures With Encoded Pre-Determined Deformability

ORAL

Abstract

Biological systems are able to translate stimuli into meaningful actions, reshaping themselves in response to changes in their environments. Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCE’s) represent a synthetic means of achieving this type of behavior, undergoing large deformations when nematic-isotropic phase transitions occur within the material. We use a finite element simulation method to predict the thermal response of LCE microplates, in a particular instance of this phenomenon. The shape changes are dictated by the director orientation in the nematic state, programmed in by a magnetic field present during cross-linking. After calibrating our simulation parameters against experimental results, we are able to accurately predict the observed experimental response of LCE microplates with a range of initial nematic orientations.

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Presenters

  • James Waters

    Chemical Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh

Authors

  • James Waters

    Chemical Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh

  • Joanna Aizenberg

    Harvard University, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, SEAS, Harvard University

  • Anna Christina Balazs

    University of Pittsburgh, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburg, Univ of Pittsburgh