Issue 8, 2011

Preparation of actuating fibres of oriented main-chain liquid crystalline elastomers by a wetspinning process

Abstract

We present a versatile method to prepare oriented fibres with a defined thickness from main-chain liquid crystalline elastomers. A microfluidic setup is utilized to inject a solution of a photocrosslinkable smectic A main-chain polymer into a co-flowing stream of silicone oil. Diffusion of the solvent into the oil yields solid polymer filaments that are crosslinked in a continuous way by UV-irradiation. The obtained fibres are highly oriented and show a reversible and significant contraction during the liquid crystal's phase transition.

Graphical abstract: Preparation of actuating fibres of oriented main-chain liquid crystalline elastomers by a wetspinning process

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
21 Jan 2011
Accepted
04 Mar 2011
First published
14 Mar 2011

Soft Matter, 2011,7, 3730-3734

Preparation of actuating fibres of oriented main-chain liquid crystalline elastomers by a wetspinning process

C. Ohm, M. Morys, F. R. Forst, L. Braun, A. Eremin, C. Serra, R. Stannarius and R. Zentel, Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 3730 DOI: 10.1039/C1SM05111C

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