Submitted by Vanessa Bismuth on Wed, 06/11/2024 - 16:15
How would the future look if buildings were to dynamically adapt to environmental conditions? If threads could show users how tightly they are stretched for optimal suturing after a surgery? If filters could clean themselves in factories?
Three renowned scientists, Prof. Eugene Terentjev from the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, Prof. Jan Lagerwall from the University of Luxembourg and Prof. Maria Helena Godinho from Nova University Lisbon have recently received 8.4 million euros of funding from the European Research Council (ERC) to create and study liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) of a new kind that enable such functionalities.
The new LCEs originate from bio-sourced polysaccharides like cellulose. They will be recyclable and, or degradable as required, and they are highly responsive, changing colour, shape, stiffness or damping properties in response to stimuli like heat, light, humidity or strain. This allows them to perform multiple functions, in highly diverse contexts. The project will also investigate new methods to process LCE precursors that are realistic for industrial upscaling.
The project entitled “Atypical Liquid Crystal Elastomers: From Materials Innovation to Scalable Processing and Transformative Applications” (ALCEMIST) aims to disrupt—in multiple ways—the conventional paradigm of how to make LCEs. By ensuring that the new materials are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and ready for large-scale production, the three European partners will unlock the full potential of LCEs.
Incredible potential of liquid crystal elastomers
Liquid crystal elastomers are rubbers that extend and contract on their own. Like conventional rubbers, they can do mechanical work, but they require no externally imposed force to charge them. These materials have the potential to be used in various impactful applications, from energy-efficient engines to reversible adhesives, to adaptive buildings and advanced medical tools.
“We will demonstrate the potential of LCEs in six scenarios, selected for their striking broad impact,” commented Prof. Terentjev. “For instance, heat engines running on industry waste heat, kinetic buildings that autonomously adapt to variations in environmental conditions, and suture threads that change colour upon stretching, ideal for robotic surgery.”
Making liquid crystal elastomers accessible
“In this project, we propose a new sustainable materials platform using natural substances called polysaccharides,” explained Prof. Godinho. “By modifying these substances, like cellulose from plants or chitin extracted from seafood waste, anyone can create liquid crystal elastomers that are strong, safe for the body, and biodegradable, at a fraction of the current cost.”
One of the recently discovered applications of LCEs by Terentjev and his team is about making reversible adhesives, which can be turned on or off on demand. “This has huge potential for the circular economy since it will allow easy recycling of glued consumer products, from mobile phones to car windscreens,” said Prof. Terentjev. “One of the key goals of ALCEMIST is to take this idea from its initial demonstrations to producing materials that are ready for large-scale industrial use."
European funding to transition towards large-scale applications
ALCEMIST will start in 2025 and run for six years. The ERC Synergy Grant supports outstanding multidisciplinary scientists who join forces to push the boundaries of scientific discovery and answer major questions that cannot be answered by a single researcher. This funding is part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.
The ALCEMIST project challenges multiple conventions in the way LCEs are synthesised, studied and engineered, connecting polysaccharide chemistry, fluid mechanics, soft matter physics, and smart composite design. “Adding our ambition to make LCEs broadly accessible and propel them towards industrial production, ALCEMIST will enable creativity across large communities for a healthier and more sustainable future”, concluded Prof. Lagerwall.
More information: alcemist.eu
This story is adapted from a news story from Université du Luxembourg - Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine.
Image: Liquid Crystal Elastomers responsive thread. Credit: Jan Lagerwall