Reconfigurable Ferromagnetic Liquid Crystal Elastomer Composites

Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs) are shape-changing polymers that contain asymmetrical liquid crystal molecules chemically bonded to the polymer chains in an ordered fashion. Heat and light can be used to change this molecular order, which results in the polymer changing its shape. LCEs show promising applications in remotely controlled soft robotics and actuators, such as microscopic drug delivery systems and soft actuators in microelectromechanical systems. LCEs are thermosets. Once the microstructure is locked-in by crosslinking, it cannot be reprocessed and reprogrammed, limiting its scope to the function(s) it was designed for. Additionally, since these materials cannot biodegrade or be recycled, they are disposed of at their end-of-life. Dr. Mohand Saed’s group at the University of Cambridge has developed LCEs containing molecules with exchangeable chemical bonds (xLCEs), addressing this sustainability issue. The performance of these xLCEs as soft robots and actuators may be enhanced by the incorporation of ferromagnetic nanoparticles, developed by Dr. Hamed Shahsavan’s group at the University of Waterloo. Magnetic nanoparticles show promise to incorporate magneto-responsive locomotion, molecular reconfiguration, and unlock novel modes of shape change actuation. In the proposed collaboration, combining these enhancements will realize a novel, customizable shape changing material for developing soft robots, with increased sustainability.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hamed Shahsavan

Student:

Partner:

University of Cambridge

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: