Thermal, Mechanical and Magneto-Mechanical Characterization of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers Loaded with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are materials that reveal unusual mechanical, optical and thermal properties due to their molecular orientability characteristic of low molar mass liquid crystals while maintaining the mechanical elasticity distinctive of rubbers. As such, they are considered smart shape-changing responsive systems. In this work, we report on the preparation of magnetic sensitized nematic LCEs using iron oxide nanoparticles with loadings of up to 0.7 wt%. The resultant thermal and mechanical properties were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, expansion/contraction experiments and extensional tests. The magnetic actuation ability was also evaluated for the neat elastomer and the composite with 0.5 wt% magnetic content, finding reversible contractions of up to 23% with the application of alternating magnetic fields (AME's) of up to 48 kA/m at 300 kHz. Thus, we were able to demonstrate that the inclusion of magnetic nanoparticles yields LCEs with adjustable properties that can be tailored by changing the amount of particles embedded in the elastomeric matrix, which can be suitable for applications in actuation, sensing, or as smart substrates.