Training and re-training liquid crystal elastomer metamaterials for pluripotent functionality

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that liquid crystal elastomer metamaterials can be physically trained to exhibit tunable auxetic responses and re-trained for different functions, enabling on-demand reconfigurability and pluripotent mechanical behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a physical training method for LCE metamaterials to achieve and erase specific mechanical functions without chemical modifications.

Findings

Poisson's ratio can be tuned via directed aging.

Arrays can be reset and re-trained for different functions.

Demonstrates pluripotent mechanical functionality in LCE metamaterials.

Abstract

Training has emerged as a promising materials design technique in which function can be acheived through repeated physical modification of an existing material rather than by direct chemical functionalization, cutting or reprocessing. This work investigates both the ability to train for function and then to erase that function on-demand in macroscopic metamaterials made from liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). We first show that the Poisson's ratio of these disordered arrays can be tuned via directed aging to induce an auxetic response. We then show that the arrays can be reset and re-trained for another local mechanical function, allostery, thus demonstrating pluripotent functionality.