Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection

Abstract Cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer fibres gain considerable attention as promising candidates for mechanochromic smart textiles across various domains, ranging from fashion to healthcare. However, intrinsically high hysteresis of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer during stress relaxati...

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Main Authors: Yu Jin Jeong, Youngeun Lee, Taekyung Won, Ji Won Lee, Youngho Eom, Dae Seok Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57522-1
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author Yu Jin Jeong
Youngeun Lee
Taekyung Won
Ji Won Lee
Youngho Eom
Dae Seok Kim
author_facet Yu Jin Jeong
Youngeun Lee
Taekyung Won
Ji Won Lee
Youngho Eom
Dae Seok Kim
author_sort Yu Jin Jeong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer fibres gain considerable attention as promising candidates for mechanochromic smart textiles across various domains, ranging from fashion to healthcare. However, intrinsically high hysteresis of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer during stress relaxation necessitates a time-lag between successive stimulus detections, thereby constraining the practical use in real-world systems. Here, we develop high-tough and low-hysteresis mechanochromic fibres capable of effectively detecting ultra-fast deformations at practical levels. By utilizing a thermoplastic elastomer as a core fibre and cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer as a sheath, we develop sheath-core composite fibres. The cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer sheath-core fibres preserve remarkable optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer sheath while improving mechanical properties, including high strength (100.9 MPa), toughness (2.7 × 102 MJ m−3), and ultra-fast resilience (60% strain at 49.98 cm s−1 strain speed) due to the thermoplastic elastomer core. We demonstrate on-demand mechanochromic fibres with tuneable moduli of thermoplastic elastomer core, expanding the fields of smart textile from single fibre to dynamic sensory environment.
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issn 2041-1723
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spelling doaj-art-36db50ee3ece4266b15b1fb181f1006f2025-08-20T01:57:27ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-57522-1Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detectionYu Jin Jeong0Youngeun Lee1Taekyung Won2Ji Won Lee3Youngho Eom4Dae Seok Kim5Department of Polymer Engineering, Pukyong National UniversityDepartment of Polymer Engineering, Pukyong National UniversityDepartment of Organic and Nano Engineering, Human-Tech Convergence Program, Hanyang UniversityDepartment of Polymer Engineering, Pukyong National UniversityDepartment of Organic and Nano Engineering, Human-Tech Convergence Program, Hanyang UniversityDepartment of Polymer Engineering, Pukyong National UniversityAbstract Cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer fibres gain considerable attention as promising candidates for mechanochromic smart textiles across various domains, ranging from fashion to healthcare. However, intrinsically high hysteresis of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer during stress relaxation necessitates a time-lag between successive stimulus detections, thereby constraining the practical use in real-world systems. Here, we develop high-tough and low-hysteresis mechanochromic fibres capable of effectively detecting ultra-fast deformations at practical levels. By utilizing a thermoplastic elastomer as a core fibre and cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer as a sheath, we develop sheath-core composite fibres. The cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer sheath-core fibres preserve remarkable optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer sheath while improving mechanical properties, including high strength (100.9 MPa), toughness (2.7 × 102 MJ m−3), and ultra-fast resilience (60% strain at 49.98 cm s−1 strain speed) due to the thermoplastic elastomer core. We demonstrate on-demand mechanochromic fibres with tuneable moduli of thermoplastic elastomer core, expanding the fields of smart textile from single fibre to dynamic sensory environment.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57522-1
spellingShingle Yu Jin Jeong
Youngeun Lee
Taekyung Won
Ji Won Lee
Youngho Eom
Dae Seok Kim
Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection
Nature Communications
title Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection
title_full Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection
title_fullStr Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection
title_full_unstemmed Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection
title_short Ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection
title_sort ultra tough and high resilience mechanochromic fibres for real world stress detection
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57522-1
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