Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.549, 106-112, 2011
Temperature-Responsive Bending of Nematic Elastomers with Hybrid Molecular Alignment
We demonstrate thermally induced giant bending of nematic elastomer films with hybrid alignment (HNEs) where the director continuously rotates by 90 degrees (from planar alignment to vertical alignment) between the top and bottom surfaces. In the nematic state, a thermally induced change in local nematic order results in a markedly temperature (T) dependent curvature of HNEs including the reversal of bending direction. In the high-temperature isotropic state, the curvature is T-independent. This bending deformation is thermally reversible. The T dependence of curvature is well explained by a simple elastic model assuming a linear variation of strain in the thickenss direction with the thermomechanical data of the corresponding nematic elastomers with globally planar or vertical alignment. The T-responsive bending feature of the HNEs has potential application as soft solid sensors that behave like bimetals.