A theoretical model for striped patterns in nematic hydrogels

• 来源期刊: 科学通报(英文版)
• 学科: 物理学
• 年，卷（期）: 2011,（17）
• 页码范围: 1778-1781
• 页数: 4页
• 分类号: O753.2
• 语种: 中文

摘要

Both nematic elastomers and nematic hydrogels are known to display striped patterns.In contrast to a large body of proposed models for nematic elastomers,few studies exist to interpret striping in nematic hydrogels.In this paper,a theoretical model based on free energyminimization is developed to simulate the drying-induced striping in a layer of nematic hydrogel bonded to a rigid substrate.The liquid crystalline polymers in the nematic hydrogel rotate by certain angles to form the striping in response to a drying environment.Moreover,the striping occurs only for a finite range of humidity,and the boundaries of this range can be tuned.