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Electrically Switchable Liquid Crystal Polymer Rod Actuators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Matthew Shafran ,
Konstantinos Sierros ,
Wade Huebsch  and
Darran Cairns
Matthew Shafran
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, Engineering Science Building, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States, 724-516-6995
Konstantinos Sierros
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
Wade Huebsch
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
Darran Cairns
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
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Abstract

Stimulus responsive liquid crystal nanorods, 60 μm in length and 200 nm in diameter, were fabricated by a template synthesis technique. The liquid crystal, RM 257, is a reactive monomer which polymerizes with the application of UV light. After polymerization the liquid crystal's orientational order is permanently “frozen”. Therefore, the subsequent structures are temperature independent after curing. In this study the liquid crystal was confined in the pores of Anopore membranes before curing, which results in rod structures after photo-polymerization. After fabrication, the rods were observed under the application of both AC and DC electric fields. DC fields were noted by either up and down or translational movement of the rods. Application of AC fields resulted in random movement of the rods.

Keywords

liquid crystalpolymerizationfluidics
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1096: Symposium FF – Molecular Motors, Nanomachines and Active Nanostructures , 2008 , 1096-FF03-07
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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