Electro-responsive ionic liquid crystal elastomer

{
  "publication_number": "US11814562B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Electro-responsive ionic liquid crystal elastomer",
  "abstract": "An ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition includes a liquid crystal elastomer; and an ionic liquid.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition comprising: a liquid crystal elastomer; and an ionic liquid; wherein the liquid crystal elastomer is a reaction product of a reaction mixture comprising a monomer; a crosslinking agent; and an initiator.",
    "2. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the monomer is an acrylate monomer.",
    "3. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 2, wherein the acrylate monomer is a monofunctional acrylate monomer.",
    "4. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 3, wherein the monofunctional acrylate monomer is",
    "5. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the crosslinking agent is a bifunctional crosslinking agent.",
    "6. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 5, wherein the bifunctional crosslinking agent is",
    "7. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the initiator is a photoinitiator.",
    "8. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 7, wherein the photoinitiator is",
    "9. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the ionic liquid comprises",
    "10. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the ionic liquid crystal elastomer comprises from about 5 wt % to about 95 wt % of the liquid crystal elastomer and about 5 wt % to about 50 wt % of the ionic liquid.",
    "11. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide, and 1-Hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium-hexafluorophosphate.",
    "12. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the ionic liquid comprises at least one ion selected from the group consisting of: lithium ion, sodium ion, potassium ion, calcium ion, magnesium ion, aluminum ion, iron ion, zirconium ion, imidazolium ions, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ion, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ion, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium ion, 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium ion, 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium ion, 1-hexyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium ion, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium ion, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium ion, 2,3-dimethyl-1-propylimidazolium ion, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium ion, 1-methyl-3-n-octylimidazolium ion, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium ion, 1-methyl-3-pentylimidazolium ion), ammonium ions, pyridinium ions, pyrrolidinium ions, and phosphonium ions.",
    "13. The ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, wherein the ionic liquid comprises at least one ion selected from the group consisting of: chloride ion, bromide ion, hexafluoroarsenic ion, hexafluorophosphate ion, tetrafluoroborate ion, perchlorate ion, trifluoromethanesulfonic ion, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide ion, bis(oxalato)borate ion, tetrafluoroborate ion, bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ion, nitrate ion, hydrogen sulfate ion, trifluoroacetate ion, trifluoro(trifluoromethyl)borate ion, thiocyanate ion, and dimethyl phosphate ion.",
    "14. A process for preparing the ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1, the process comprising: polymerizing the monomer by reacting the reaction mixture to form the liquid crystal elastomer in the presence on the ionic liquid.",
    "15. A process for producing a device comprising: forming the ionic liquid crystal elastomer composition of claim 1 between a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate.",
    "16. The process of claim 15, further comprising: providing at least one electrode.",
    "17. The process of claim 16, wherein the at least one electrode comprises: poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/958,847 filed Jan. 9, 2020 and titled “ELECTRO-RESPONSIVE IONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL ELASTOMER,” which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.\n\nOver the past few decades, there have been developments concerning soft robotics inspired by mimicking the actuation of soft structures in nature. Unlike traditional hard robots with limited degrees of freedom in discrete motions, soft robots using stimuli-responsive resilient materials can generate an infinite number of continuous shape deformations without causing damage to their payloads. Their compliant elasticity, good adaptability to external constraints and safety around humans give soft robotics potential applications in healthcare and artificial intelligence (e.g. artificial muscles, sensor skin and wearable exoskeletons). Polymer actuators including shape-memory polymers, dielectric elastomers, ferroelectric polymers, ionic electroactive polymers and liquid crystal elastomers are promising materials for soft robotics with lightweight, easy and low-cost manufacturing, high corrosion resistance and programmable deformations.\n\nAmong insulating polymer actuators, liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), which combine the orientational order of liquid crystal mesogens with the soft elasticity of polymer networks, can produce extremely sensitive deformations in response to diverse external stimuli, such as light, heat and electric fields.",
  "cpc": [
    "C09K 19/02",
    "C08F 2/14",
    "C08F 2/50",
    "C08F 20/30",
    "C08F 22/20",
    "C08K 5/07",
    "C08K 5/3445",
    "C09K 19/3852",
    "C09K 19/388",
    "C09K 19/408",
    "C09K 19/52",
    "C09K 19/542",
    "C09K 2019/0448",
    "C09K 2019/546"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 9/12",
    "C08F 2/14",
    "C08F 2/50",
    "C08F 20/30",
    "C08F 22/20",
    "C08K 5/07",
    "C09K 19/02",
    "C09K 19/54",
    "C09K 19/04"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "University of Akron",
    "Kent State University"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Antal Jákli",
    "Chenrun Feng",
    "Chathuranga Prageeth Hemantha Rajapaksha",
    "Vikash Kaphle",
    "Thein Kyu"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-01-11",
  "publication_date": "2023-11-14",
  "grant_date": "2023-11-14",
  "priority_date": "2020-01-09",
  "application_number": "US-202117248127-A",
  "family_id": "76764102",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US8883896B2",
    "WO2014172261A1",
    "WO2018034621A1"
  ]
}