近日，安徽建筑大学机械与电气工程学院的周琳与土木工程学院的李凯等人合作并取得一项新进展。经过不懈努力，他们实现侧向约束下液晶弹性体棒的光驱动自主旋转。相关研究成果已于2025年1月9日在国际知名学术期刊《理论与应用力学快报》上发表。

最近的实验发现，中部支撑的液晶弹性体（LCE）棒在水平光照下，由于重力和光致侧向弯曲变形的共同作用，可以持续旋转。类似于传统的重力驱动系统，它受到重力方向的限制，无法在微重力环境中应用。

本研究在液晶弹性体棒系统中引入了侧向约束，使其能够在任何方向的光照下，包括水平和垂直光照，实现自主旋转。通过理论建模，结果表明该系统在侧向力和垂直光照的共同作用下能够稳定旋转。自主旋转的角速度受热能通量、热导系数、LCE棒长度、收缩系数和摩擦系数等因素的影响。

数值计算结果与实验数据高度吻合。研究人员提出的稳定自主旋转系统结构简单，能实现持续自主旋转，且其运行不依赖于重力方向，因此非常适合月球等特殊环境中的微重力条件。本研究提出的侧向约束策略为拓展重力驱动自持续运动的应用提供了一种通用方法，尤其在微重力环境下，其在不同光照条件下的通用性有望带来宝贵的见解和广阔的应用前景。

附：英文原文

Title: Light-fueled self-rotation of a liquid crystal elastomer rod enabled by lateral constraint

Author: Kai Li, Pengsen Xu, Lin Zhou

Issue&Volume: 2025-01-09

Abstract: Recent experiments have found that a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) rod supported in the middle can rotate continuously under horizontal illumination due to the combined impacts of gravity and light-fueled lateral bending deformation. Similar to traditional gravity-driven systems, it is constrained by the direction of gravity and cannot be applied in microgravity environments. This study introduces a lateral constraint to a liquid crystal elastomer rod system, enabling self-rotation under lighting from any direction, including horizontal and vertical illumination. Through theoretical modeling, the results indicate that the system can steadily rotate under the combined impacts of lateral forces and vertical illumination. Factors like thermal energy flux, thermal conductivity coefficient, the LCE rod length, contraction coefficient, and friction coefficient affect the angular velocity of the self-rotation. The numerical computations align closely with the experimental data. Our proposed steadily self-rotating system features a simple structure with constant self-rotation. It operates independently of gravity direction, making it an excellent choice for special environments, such as the microgravity conditions on the Moon. The lateral constraint strategy presented in this study offers a general approach to expanding the applications of gravity-driven self-sustained motion, with promising potential, especially in microgravity settings, where its versatility under varying lighting conditions could yield valuable insights.

DOI: 10.1016/j.taml.2025.100569

Source: http://taml.cstam.org.cn/article/doi/10.1016/j.taml.2025.100569