INFRARED ACTUATION OF CARBON NANOTUBE-LIQUID CRYSTALLINE ELASTOMER NANOCOMPOSITES

摘要

This paper reports the infrared (IR) actuation performance of a new family of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)-nematic liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) nanocomposites. A strong and instantaneous response (～30% strain) to the IR stimulus was observed in the SWNT-LCE nanocomposites due to the photon absorption of the SWNTs, resulting in an increase in the nanocomposite film's temperature and thereby triggering a nematic-isotropic phase transition. The IR strain response of the SWNT-LCE nanocomposites increased with the SWNT loading level and the degree of hot-drawing, but decreased with the photo-curing time.