TY - JOUR
T1 - A cellulose liquid crystal motor: A steam engine of the second kind
AU - Geng, Yong
AU - Almeida, Pedro Lúcio
AU - Fernandes, Susete Nogueira
AU - Cheng, Cheng
AU - Palffy-Muhoray, Peter
AU - Godinho, Maria Helena
N1 - We acknowledge support from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation through grants SFRH/BD/63574/2009, SFRH/BPD/78430/2011 to Y. Geng and S.N. Fernandes respectively, projects PTDC/CTM/099595/2008, PTDC/FIS/110132/2009, PEst-C/CTM/LA0025/2011 (Strategic Project - LA 25 - 2011-2012) and from the U.S. National Science Foundation IIP 1114332.
PY - 2013/1/4
Y1 - 2013/1/4
N2 - The salient feature of liquid crystal elastomers and networks is strong coupling between orientational order and mechanical strain. Orientational order can be changed by a wide variety of stimuli, including the presence of moisture. Changes in the orientation of constituents give rise to stresses and strains, which result in changes in sample shape. We have utilized this effect to build soft cellulose-based motor driven by humidity. The motor consists of a circular loop of cellulose film, which passes over two wheels. When humid air is present near one of the wheels on one side of the film, with drier air elsewhere, rotation of the wheels results. As the wheels rotate, the humid film dries. The motor runs so long as the difference in humidity is maintained. Our cellulose liquid crystal motor thus extracts mechanical work from a difference in humidity.
AB - The salient feature of liquid crystal elastomers and networks is strong coupling between orientational order and mechanical strain. Orientational order can be changed by a wide variety of stimuli, including the presence of moisture. Changes in the orientation of constituents give rise to stresses and strains, which result in changes in sample shape. We have utilized this effect to build soft cellulose-based motor driven by humidity. The motor consists of a circular loop of cellulose film, which passes over two wheels. When humid air is present near one of the wheels on one side of the film, with drier air elsewhere, rotation of the wheels results. As the wheels rotate, the humid film dries. The motor runs so long as the difference in humidity is maintained. Our cellulose liquid crystal motor thus extracts mechanical work from a difference in humidity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84872693186&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/srep01028
DO - 10.1038/srep01028
M3 - Article
C2 - 23293743
AN - SCOPUS:84872693186
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 3
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
M1 - 1028
ER -