Supporting information of paper "Direct Laser Writing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers Oriented by a Horizontal Electric Field"

This dataset is the supporting material for the paper “Direct Laser Writing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers Oriented by a Horizontal Electric Field”, submitted  for consideration and open review in Open Research Europe. In the follow the description of the file is reported: SIVideo_LCAlignment Video (.avi)  [Supporting VideoZ1] showing the response of the unpolymerized mesogens to an electric field of 1.7 V/µm SIVideo_NailActuation Video (.avi) [Supporting VideoZ2] showing the thermally activated actuation of a LCE nail microstructure upon several rt-75 °C cycles. SIVideo_SimluationCube [Supporting VideoZ3] Video showing a simulation of the actuation of a LCE microcube upon heating. SIVideo_SimluationNail [Supporting VideoZ4] Video showing a simulation of the actuation of a LCE micronail upon heating. ImageZ1 [Supporting Figure Z1]Simulation of the distribution of the electric field generated by flat electrode, view along the plane (cross section) with magnification of the central part of the working field. ImageZ2 [Supporting Figure Z2] Photographs and thermal images of a LCE film obtained using a resin formulation identical to that employed in DLW on identical substrates that show the thermal response. Top: photograph of LCE films obtained by UV polymerization of a 7:3 LC-MA:LC-DA mixture over interdigitated flat ITO electrodes with an applied DC voltage. Upon heating with an infrared lamp (right column) the film bends and shortens. Middle: images acquired with a thermocamera highlighting the actuation temperature. Bottom: control LCE film polymerized as casted (without electric field). Simulations.zip Comsol (Version 5.6) source simulation files for LCE microcube and LCE micronail upon heating, and for the electric field electric generated by flat electrode in experimental conditions. Complete Report file in PDF is also available, containing all the parameters and equations used for simulation. Finally, the simulation results are provided as text .csv files.