Flexoionic effect of Ionic Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Flexoelectricity (strain gradient induced electricity) has potential of a wide variety of applications such as strain sensors and micropower generators. Our present study was motivated by the novel phenomenon of mechanoelctrical conversion (flexoionic effect) of ionic electroactive polymers [1]and a new class of active material – ionic liquid crystal elastomers (iLCEs) [2]. Here we report the flexoionic effect of iLCEs. Highly ionic conductive iLCEs are prepared using M1 (4-(6-Acryloxy-hex-1-yl-oxy) phenyl-4-(hexyloxy) benzoate), M2 (1,4-Bis-[4-(6-acryloyloxyhexyloxy) benzoyloxy]-2-methylbenzene), ionic liquid (1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) and the photo initiator. The effect of alignment (planar, homeotropic and hybrid) and ionic liquid concentration at the function of bending amplitude are studied on the mechanoelectrical conversion.

Reference
[1] J. Cao, C. Piedrahita, and T. Kyu, Macromol. Mater. Eng. 304, 1 (2019).
[2] C. Feng, C. P. H. Rajapaksha, J. M. Cedillo, C. Piedrahita, J. Cao, V. Kaphle, B. Lüssem, T. Kyu, and A. Jákli, Macromol. Rapid Commun. 40, 1900299 (2019).