Programmable nanocomposites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142696-B2
Application number	US-201916373110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 2, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer. The elastomer comprising cross-linked and polymerized nematic, isotropic monomers with carbon nanotubes that are organized into a plurality of voxels. Each voxel has a director orientation such that each voxel of the plurality has a first state according to the director orientation and a second state according to cross-linkages of the polymerized nematic monomers. The elastomer transitions between the first and second states with exposure to an electric field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer comprising:
cross-linked and polymerized nematic, isotropic monomers with nanotubes organized into a plurality of voxels, each voxel of the plurality having a director orientation such that each voxel of the plurality has a first state according to the director orientation and a second state according to cross-linkages of the polymerized nematic monomers,
wherein the elastomer transitions between the first and second states with exposure to an electric field, and a nanotube content ranges from 0.02 wt % to 1.0 wt %.

2. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the nanotubes are carbon nanotubes, boron nanotubes, or TMD platelets.

3. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the nanotubes are single-wall carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

4. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , further comprising:
an auxiliary chemical.

5. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 4 , wherein the auxiliary chemical is a photoinitator, a chain extender or both.

6. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 5 , wherein the photoinitator is IRGACURE-651.

7. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 5 , wherein the chain extender is an ethanedithiol, an aliphatic dithiol, or an amine.

8. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the nematic monomers are selected from the group consisting of acrylates, methacrylates, thiols, vinyl, epoxides, and amines.

9. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the nematic monomers include a ratio mixture of a diacrylate and an amine.

10. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 9 , wherein the diacrylate is 1,4-bis-[4-(6-acryloxyloxyhexyloxy)benzoyloxy]-2-methylbenzene and the amine is n-butyl amine.

11. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerized nematic monomers a mesogen.

12. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a domain comprising adjacent voxels of the plurality having similar director orientation.

13. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein each voxel of the plurality has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a depth dimension.

14. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerized, nematic monomer is polymerized diacrylate functionalized azobenzene.

15. The shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer exhibits a nonlinear elastic behavior.

Assignees

• Us Gov Air Force
• Us Air Force

Inventors

• Guin Tyler C
• White Timothy J

Classifications

• C09K19/3852 Primary

  Poly(meth)acrylate derivatives · CPC title

• C09K19/56

  Aligning agents · CPC title

• C09K2019/521

  Inorganic solid particles · CPC title