Work

Modeling the polydomain-monodomain transition of liquid crystal elastomers

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: We study the mechanism of the polydomain-monodomain transition in liquid crystalline elastomers at the molecular scale. A coarse-grained model is proposed in which mesogens are described as ellipsoidal particles. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to examine the transition from a polydomain state to a monodomain state in the presence of uniaxial strain. Our model demonstrates soft elasticity, similar to that exhibited by side-chain elastomers in the literature. By analyzing the growth dynamics of nematic domains during uniaxial extension, we provide direct evidence that at a molecular level the polydomain-monodomain transition proceeds through cluster rotation and domain growth.

Source: Physical Review E

DOI: 10.1103/physreve.87.020502

Authors: Jonathan K. Whitmer, Tyler F. Roberts, Raj Shekhar, Nicholas L. Abbott, Juan J. de Pablo

Institutions: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago

Language: English

Topic: Liquid Crystal Research Advancements

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Human Genome Research Institute

Awards: TAS::89 0222::TAS - FUNCTIONAL, HIERARCHICAL COLLOIDAL LIQUID CRYSTAL GELS AND LIQUID CRYSTAL ELASTOMERS NANOCOMPOSITES, UW CEMRI on Structured Interfaces, Institutional Training in the Genomic Sciences