A Molecular Rheology Dynamics Study on 3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

We are presenting here a rheological study of a biocompatible and biodegradable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) ink for 3D printing. These materials have shown that their structural variations have an effect on morphology, mechanical properties, alignment and their impact on cell response. Within the last decade LCEs have been extensively studied as potential printing materials for soft robotics applications, due to the actuation properties that are produced when LC moieties are induced through external stimuli. In this report we utilize experiments and coarse-grained molecular dynamics to study the macroscopic rheology of LCEs in nonlinear shear flow. Results from the shear flow simulations are in line with the outcomes of our experimental investigations. We believe the insights from these results can be used to design and print new material with desirable properties necessary for targeted applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.