Collaborative Research: Sub-Voxel Molecular Patterning of Actuators and Photonic Structures in 3-Dimensional Free-Forms

合作研究：3 维自由形式的执行器和光子结构的亚体素分子图案

• 批准号: 2147703
• 负责人: M Ravi Shankar
• 金额: $ 27万
• 依托单位: University of Pittsburgh
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-03-15 至 2025-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2147703&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Sub; Voxel; Molecular

This grant supports research into the 3D printing of macroscopic polymeric structures with an engineered molecular order that can be defined at the sub-micrometer-scale. The molecularly engineered structures with unusual optical and mechanical properties in easily printed structures with arbitrary form factors could improve many application areas. These properties include structural color that can change in response to the surrounding environment and the ability to create artificial muscles that generate mechanical work from an ambient stimulus. Control of the molecular structure and composition in printable materials is the key enabler of these functionalities. Fundamental research advances can enable soft robots that integrate actuators and sensors within a 3D printed structure. The ability to self-sense actuation and optically report deformation state allows for the development of new control strategies in soft robots. This will be key to their potential applications in future medical devices for minimally invasive surgery and industrial applications that require manipulation of fragile objects. This research will also result in training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students who will be exposed to emerging concepts in manufacturing with active soft matter. Outreach initiatives targeted at the K-12 levels will prioritize inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups.This project will control the interplay between surface anchoring, magnetically-mediated alignment, and chiral self-assembly of liquid crystal monomers in a stereolithographic printing system. The effect of the monomer’s structure and composition on the chiral nematic order in 3D printed voxels will be understood as a function of the printing parameters. Process-structure relationships will be used to voxelate the blueprinted microstructure both in-plane and through-thickness in freeform geometries. Fundamental limits on the resolution at which the molecular patterning can be enforced will be explored. This will be used to inform the space of optical and mechanical properties, as well as their sensitivity to an applied stimulus. Ultimately, this study envisions 3D printed structures that are capable of morphing and self-reporting state to an observer via a coupling of the mechanical responses to the optical properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该赠款支持对宏观聚合物结构的3D打印的研究，该结构具有工程性分子顺序，可以在亚微米尺度上定义。具有异常的光学和机械性能的分子工程结构在具有任意形式的易于印刷结构中可以改善许多应用领域。这些特性包括可以响应周围环境而变化的结构颜色，以及创造出从环境刺激中产生机械作品的艺术肌肉的能力。可打印材料中分子结构和组成的控制是这些功能的关键推动剂。基本研究的进步可以使软机器人能够将执行器和传感器整合到3D印刷结构中。自我义动作和光学报告变形状态的能力允许在软机器人中发展新的控制策略。这将是他们在未来的医疗设备中的潜在应用的关键，用于微创手术和需要操纵脆弱物体的工业应用。这项研究还将为本科生和研究生提供培训机会，这些学生和研究生将接受活跃的软件制造业的新兴概念。针对K-12水平的推广计划将优先考虑传统代表性不足的群体。该项目将控制表面锚定，磁介导的对准和液晶单体的手性自组件之间的相互作用。单体的结构和组成对3D打印体素中手性列顺序的影响将被理解为打印参数的函数。过程结构关系将用于在自由形式的几何形状中对蓝图微观结构和整个厚度呈蓝图。将探索分子模式的分辨率的基本限制。这将用于告知光学和机械性能的空间及其对应用刺激的敏感性。最终，本研究设想了能够通过对光学特性的机械响应耦合将能够向观察者转变和自我报告状态的3D印刷结构。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查审查标准来通过评估来通过评估来支持的。

项目成果

Three-dimensional blueprinting of molecular patterns in liquid crystalline polymers

液晶聚合物分子图案的三维蓝图

• DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01374j
• 发表时间: 2024
• 期刊: Soft Matter
• 影响因子: 3.4
• 作者: Tabrizi, Mohsen;Clement, J. Arul;Babaei, Mahnoush;Martinez, Angel;Gao, Junfeng;Ware, Taylor H.;Shankar, M. Ravi
• 通讯作者: Shankar, M. Ravi