Monodomain liquid crystal elastomer bionic muscle fibers with excellent mechanical and actuation properties

Xu Dong; Xiaoshuang Zhou; Lvzhou Li; Xiaoting Cao; Jiawei Xu; Shengping Dai; Yaoyao Jiang; Qingyue Li; Ningyi Yuan; Jianning Ding

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106357

Monodomain liquid crystal elastomer bionic muscle fibers with excellent mechanical and actuation properties

iScience. 2023 Mar 9;26(4):106357. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106357. eCollection 2023 Apr 21.

Authors

Xu Dong^{1

2}, Xiaoshuang Zhou², Lvzhou Li¹, Xiaoting Cao², Jiawei Xu², Shengping Dai², Yaoyao Jiang², Qingyue Li², Ningyi Yuan², Jianning Ding^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Yangzhou Technology Innovation Research Center for Carbon Neutrality of Yangzhou University, School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, P. R. China.
² Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Province Cultivation base for State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, P. R. China.

Abstract

Monodomain liquid crystal elastomers (m-LCEs) exhibit large reversible deformations when subjected to light and heat stimuli. Herein, we developed a new method for the large-scale continuous preparation of m-LCE fibers. These m-LCE fibers exhibit a reversible contraction ratio of 55.6%, breaking strength of 162 MPa (withstanding a load of 1 million times its weight), and maximum output power density of 1250 J/kg, surpassing those of previously reported m-LCEs. These excellent mechanical properties are mainly attributed to the formation of a homogeneous molecular network. Furthermore, the fabrication of m-LCEs with permanent plasticity using m-LCEs with impermanent instability without external intervention was realized by the synergistic effects of the self-restraint of mesogens and the prolonged relaxation process of LCEs. The designed LCE fibers, which are similar to biological muscle fibers and can be easily integrated, exhibit broad application prospects in artificial muscles, soft robots, and micromechanical systems.

Keywords: Bionics; Materials processing; Mechanical property.