Advanced Carbon Nanotube-Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Nanocomposites and Their Actuation Properties

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。该奖项的研究目标是更全面地了解碳纳米管(CNT)-液晶弹性体(LCE)纳米复合材料及其驱动行为。将少量适当功能化的碳纳米管添加到LCE中将创建一种新型的CNT-LCE执行器，该执行器可以通过电场、电焦耳加热和远程红外辐射来刺激，具有出色的驱动性能和改善的机械性能。纯LCE执行器只能通过改变其周围环境的温度来启动。为了使碳纳米管均匀分散在LCE基质中，实现碳纳米管与LCE之间的强偶联，需要对碳纳米管的表面进行合理的功能化处理。碳纳米管化学和负载对碳纳米管-LCE纳米复合材料的结构和材料性能的影响将被建立。研究了CNT-LCE执行器在不同刺激下的驱动行为，包括电场和远红外辐射。对这类新型CNT-LCE复合材料的更深入了解，将对智能材料领域产生重大影响。具有各种特性的碳纳米管与液晶电池之间具有很强的协同作用，可以产生许多新的性质和功能，并在执行器、人工肌肉、微泵和微电机中得到实际应用。技术成果将与行业合作伙伴分享，所获得的知识将被整合到新设立的课程中，以教育学生纳米材料日益增长的重要性。将特别重视为代表人数不足的群体的学生和参加威斯康星大学各种科学计划的初中生发展研究经验，以介绍纳米技术的概念并扩大他们对科学的兴趣。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The research objective of this award is to more fully understand carbon nanotube (CNT)-liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) nanocomposites and their actuation behaviors. Adding a small amount of properly functionalized CNTs into the LCE will create a new class of CNT-LCE actuators that can be stimulated via an electrical field, electrical Joule heating, and remote IR irradiation with excellent actuation performance and improved mechanical properties. Pure LCE actuators can only be actuated by changing the temperatures of their surroundings. In order to uniformly disperse the CNTs in the LCE matrix and to achieve strong coupling between the CNTs and the LCE, the surfaces of the CNTs will be engineered rationally with various types of functional materials. The effects of CNT chemistry and loading on the structure and the material properties of the CNT-LCE nanocomposites will be established. The actuation behaviors of the CNT-LCE actuators under different stimuli including electrical field and remote IR irradiation will be investigated. A greater understanding of this new class of CNT-LCE composites will have a significant impact on the field of smart materials. The strong synergies between CNTs with various characteristics and LCEs can generate many novel properties and functions, and lead to practical applications in actuators, artificial muscles, micropumps, and micromotors. The technological results will be shared with industry partners, and the knowledge gained will be integrated into newly established courses to educate students about the growing importance of nanomaterials. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing research experiences for students of underrepresented groups and for middle/high school students enrolled in various science programs at UWM to introduce the concept of nanotechnology and to expand their interest in science.