Domains In Nematic Elastomers

1993 ◽  
Vol 328 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ten Bosch ◽  
L. Varichon

ABSTRACTA theory based on an elastic model and including coupling between elastic deformation and nematic order parameter as well as an interaction between crosslinks and orientation is given. The nematic order parameter and the stress tensor have been determined on elongation and as a function of temperature as well as he anisotropy of the conformation of a side chain liquid crystal elastomer on application of a mechanical stress. A transition from a turbid, low ordered polydomain phase to a transparent, Monodomain is shown to occur.

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (40) ◽  
pp. 23064-23072
Author(s):  
Andraž Rešetič ◽  
Jerneja Milavec ◽  
Valentina Domenici ◽  
Blaž Zupančič ◽  
Alexej Bubnov ◽  
...  

Orientational order parameter of magnetically aligned liquid crystal elastomer particles suspended in a cured silicone matrix is assessed using 2H-NMR spectroscopy. Obtained results correspond well with the composite's thermomechanical response.


Author(s):  
L. Angela Mihai ◽  
Haoran Wang ◽  
Johann Guilleminot ◽  
Alain Goriely

Continuum models describing ideal nematic solids are widely used in theoretical studies of liquid crystal elastomers. However, experiments on nematic elastomers show a type of anisotropic response that is not predicted by the ideal models. Therefore, their description requires an additional term coupling elastic and nematic responses, to account for aeolotropic effects. In order to better understand the observed elastic response of liquid crystal elastomers, we analyse theoretically and computationally different stretch and shear deformations. We then compare the elastic moduli in the infinitesimal elastic strain limit obtained from the molecular dynamics simulations with the ones derived theoretically, and show that they are better explained by including nematic order effects within the continuum framework.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Dubtsov ◽  
S. V. Pasechnik ◽  
D. V. Shmeliova ◽  
S. Kralj ◽  
R. Repnik

We study experimentally and theoretically controlled targeting of specific nanoparticles (NPs) to different regions within nematic liquid crystal. Using a simple mesoscopic Landau-de Gennes-type model in terms of a tensor nematic order parameter, we demonstrate a general mechanism which could be exploited for controlled targeting of NPs within a spatially nonhomogeneous nematic texture. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate using polarising microscopy that even a relatively low concentration of localised appropriate NPs could trigger a nematic structural transition. A simple estimate is derived to account for the observed transition.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariarita de Luca ◽  
A. DeSimone

ABSTRACTLiquid crystal (in particular, nematic) elastomers consist of cross-linked flexible polymer chains with embedded stiff rod molecules that allow them to behave as a rubber and a liquid crystal. Nematic elastomers are characterized by a phase transition from isotropic to nematic past a temperature threshold. They behave as rubber at high temperature and show nematic behavior below the temperature threshold. Such transition is reversible. While in the nematic phase, the rod molecules are aligned along the direction of the ’’nematic director’’. This molecular rearrangement induces a stretch in the polymer chains and hence macroscopic spontaneous deformations. The coupling between nematic order parameter and deformation gives rise to interesting phenomena with a potential for new interesting applications. In the biological field, the ability to considerably change their length makes them very promising as artificial muscles actuators. Their tunable optical properties make them suitable, for example, as lenses for new imaging systems.We present a mathematical model able to describe the behavior of nematic elastomers and numerical simulations reproducing such peculiar behavior. We use a geometrically linear version of the Warner and Terentjev model [1] and consider cooling experiments and stretching experiments in the direction perpendicular to the one of the director at cross-linking.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mistry ◽  
S. D. Connell ◽  
S. L. Mickthwaite ◽  
P. B. Morgan ◽  
J. H. Clamp ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 132 (35) ◽  
pp. 15241-15246
Author(s):  
Lu Yin ◽  
Li Han ◽  
Feijie Ge ◽  
Xia Tong ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (35) ◽  
pp. 15129-15134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Yin ◽  
Li Han ◽  
Feijie Ge ◽  
Xia Tong ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 314 (4) ◽  
pp. 332-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anca-Luiza Alexe-Ionescu ◽  
Giovanni Barbero ◽  
Andrei Th. Ionescu ◽  
Emil S. Barna

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