Chemical Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
Soft Matter. 2018 Mar 7;14(10):1822-1832. doi: 10.1039/c8sm00009c.
Using computational modeling, we pattern the outer layers of thin, thermo-responsive gels with elastic fibers and thereby design stable structures that could not be achieved with the fibers in the interior of the network. To perform these studies, we simulate the fiber-decorated gels with the gel lattice spring model (gLSM) and determine how the temperature, arrangement and number of the fibers control the bending and curvature of the thin films. We establish arrangements of the fiber on square- and rectangular-shaped gels that yield reversible, pronounced contraction and extension of the layer with changes in temperature. Hence, these composites provide useful actuation. Finally, we cut the gel into a cross-shaped sample to show that the modes of actuation and functionality of the material can be significantly expanded by tailoring not only the fiber placement, but also the initial geometry of the gel.
利用计算建模，我们在外层的热响应凝胶中使用弹性纤维来设计图案，从而设计出稳定的结构，而这些结构是无法通过纤维在网络内部实现的。为了进行这些研究，我们使用凝胶格子弹簧模型（gLSM）对纤维装饰凝胶进行模拟，并确定纤维的温度、排列和数量如何控制薄膜的弯曲和曲率。我们在方形和矩形凝胶上建立纤维排列，以实现温度变化时薄膜的可逆、明显的收缩和伸展。因此，这些复合材料提供了有用的驱动。最后，我们将凝胶切成十字形样品，以表明通过不仅调整纤维的位置，而且还调整凝胶的初始几何形状，可以显著扩展材料的驱动模式和功能。
