Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by LightGhislaine Vantomme *1,2, Anne Helene Gelebart *1,3, Dirk J. Broer 1,3, E. W. Meijer 1,2
1Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Technical University of Eindhoven, 2Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry, Technical University of Eindhoven, 3Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Laboratory for Functional Organic Materials and Devices (SFD), Technical University of Eindhoven
The goal of the protocol is to create liquid crystalline polymer films that can mechanically oscillate under continuous light irradiation. We describe in great detail the conception of free-standing films, from the liquid crystal alignment method to the photo-actuation. The experimental protocol applied to prepare this material is broadly applicable.
