Issue 19, 2006

Mechanical manipulation of molecular lattice parameters in smectic elastomers

Abstract

Smectic liquid crystalline elastomers (SLCE) represent unique materials that combine a 1-D molecular lattice arrangement and orientational order with rubber-elasticity mediated by a polymer network. Such materials may exhibit large thermo-mechanical, opto-mechanical and electro-mechanical effects, due to the coupling of macroscopic sample geometry and microscopic structural features. It is shown that the molecular layer dimensions in the smectic phases can be influenced reversibly by macroscopic strain of the material. We present a microscopic model on the basis of experimental results obtained by mechanical dilatation measurements, optical interferometry, X-ray scattering, 13C NMR, FTIR and polarizing microscopy data. The model gives an explanation of the controversial results obtained in different types of smectic elastomers.

Graphical abstract: Mechanical manipulation of molecular lattice parameters in smectic elastomers

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jan 2006
Accepted
09 Mar 2006
First published
21 Mar 2006

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2006,8, 2293-2298

Mechanical manipulation of molecular lattice parameters in smectic elastomers

R. Stannarius, V. Aksenov, J. Bläsing, A. Krost, M. Rössle and R. Zentel, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2006, 8, 2293 DOI: 10.1039/B600839A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements