New Liquid Crystal Materials FacilityPeter Palffy-Muhoray, Kent State University, DMR 0606357

A New Approach to Materials Research

Plastic motors that run on light, free standing films that generate electricity when flexed, materials that act as artificial muscles, these exciting materials are part of a broader class of materials known as liquid crystal elastomers (LCE).

The mission of the New Liquid Materials Facility (NLCMF) is to provide samples of materials such as these LCE, free of cost, to remove any technical or economic barriers for scientists and engineers wishing to work with LCE materials This enables researchers with no expertise in chemical synthesis and material preparation to work with materials to which they would not otherwise have access. This approach is effective and economical, allowing scientists to explore and rapidly assess the potential of these materials for a variety of scientific and technological applications.

To acquire expertise in the preparation of these diverse exotic materials, scientists and students from the NCLMF visit leading research labs to master material preparation techniques. Material samples are then prepared at the NLCMF and made available to interested scientists in the US and around the world.

The NCLMF also provides training for those who want to learn material preparation in greater detail, hosting scientists for periods from weeks to months.

Since its inception in late 2006, the NLCMF has participated in dozens of collaborations with scientists in academia, government labs and industry, resulting in multiple publications in scientific journals and patents. Please contact Peter Palffy-Muhoray for more information

Light driven plastic motor developed by Prof. Tomiki Ikeda, Tokyo Institute of Technology, one of the many materials available from the NLCMF

New Liquid Crystal Materials FacilityPeter Palffy-Muhoray, Kent State University, DMR 0606357

NLCMF attracts scientists from around the globe to the Liquid Crystal Institute .

Dr. Camilla Parmeggiani from the European Laboratory of Non-Linear Spectroscopy at the University of Florence, Italy visited in June of 2010 for two weeks to learn synthesis and preparation of photo-sensitive liquid crystal elastomers. During her stay, she learned chemical synthesis and material preparation techniques for three types of materials. Dr. Parmeggiani plans to prepare samples to study their novel optical response and photo-mechanics.

Dr. Oscar Baldovino-Pantaleon

Dr. Baldovino, from the National Astrophysics Institute in Puebla, Mexico, visited the facility for over four months in 2008. Working with facility scientists, Dr. Baldovino worked on developing novel fluorinated liquid crystal materials that could better withstand harsh chemical environments as well as preparing novel light sensitive liquid crystals.Interested in a visit? Please contact Peter Palffy-Muhoray for more information .

Dr. Camilla Parmeggiani

Dr. Oscar Baldovino