| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7138489 | Sensors and Actuators A: Physical | 2012 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Here we report the development of a thermomechanical nematic liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuator containing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Embedding a low concentration of AuNPs enhances the thermal conductivity of the actuator with minimal effect on the elasticity of the cross-linked polymer. Doping LCEs with AuNPs provides a means to improve the material response time to external stimuli. Under fast heating conditions, the AuNP-doped LCE actuators exhibited more than a 100% increase in the rate of change of strain with respect to time.
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Authors
Reza Montazami, Christopher M. Spillmann, Jawad Naciri, Banahalli R. Ratna,