Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microstructures
Thermal diodes enabling asymmetric heat flow via efficiently conducting heat in one direction while blocking it in the opposite direction have great potential for controlling and managing thermal energy. Here, a thermal diode film with a scalable and thin‐film form factor is presented, which utilize...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley-VCH
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Small Structures |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202400558 |
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| author | Jae Yun Baek Gilyong Shin Ju Hwan Lee Sungryul Yun Jei Gyeong Jeon Tae June Kang |
| author_facet | Jae Yun Baek Gilyong Shin Ju Hwan Lee Sungryul Yun Jei Gyeong Jeon Tae June Kang |
| author_sort | Jae Yun Baek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thermal diodes enabling asymmetric heat flow via efficiently conducting heat in one direction while blocking it in the opposite direction have great potential for controlling and managing thermal energy. Here, a thermal diode film with a scalable and thin‐film form factor is presented, which utilizes thermal contact asymmetry that varies with the direction of heat flow. The proposed thermal diode film is fabricated using two liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) layers separated by an air gap: one surface has a pillar structure, and the other has a hexagonal honeycomb structure. In forward mode, heating the LCE layer with the hexagonal honeycomb structure causes the sidewalls to buckle and contact the pillar structure on the opposite side, facilitating efficient conductive heat transfer. In reverse mode, heating the LCE layer with a pillar structure causes it to contract, increasing the gap between the layers with the pillar and hexagonal structures. This increased gap reduces convective heat transfer across the air gap. The thermal contact asymmetry, depending on the direction of heat flow, enables the film to achieve a thermal rectification ratio of ≈2.0 over a wide temperature range of 60–100 °C. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83625ce4daec4f4ba79f1cbe85736fdd |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2688-4062 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley-VCH |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Small Structures |
| spelling | doaj-art-83625ce4daec4f4ba79f1cbe85736fdd2025-08-20T02:32:29ZengWiley-VCHSmall Structures2688-40622025-06-0166n/an/a10.1002/sstr.202400558Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer MicrostructuresJae Yun Baek0Gilyong Shin1Ju Hwan Lee2Sungryul Yun3Jei Gyeong Jeon4Tae June Kang5Department of Mechanical Engineering Inha University 100 Inha‐ro, Michuhol‐gu Incheon 22212 South KoreaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering Inha University 100 Inha‐ro, Michuhol‐gu Incheon 22212 South KoreaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering Inha University 100 Inha‐ro, Michuhol‐gu Incheon 22212 South KoreaTangible Interface Creative Research Section Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) 218 Gajeong‐ro, Yuseong‐gu Daejeon 34129 South KoreaInstitute of Advanced Composite Materials Korea Institute of Science and Technology 92 Chudong‐ro, Bongdong‐eup Wanju‐gun Jeollabuk‐do 55324 Republic of KoreaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering Inha University 100 Inha‐ro, Michuhol‐gu Incheon 22212 South KoreaThermal diodes enabling asymmetric heat flow via efficiently conducting heat in one direction while blocking it in the opposite direction have great potential for controlling and managing thermal energy. Here, a thermal diode film with a scalable and thin‐film form factor is presented, which utilizes thermal contact asymmetry that varies with the direction of heat flow. The proposed thermal diode film is fabricated using two liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) layers separated by an air gap: one surface has a pillar structure, and the other has a hexagonal honeycomb structure. In forward mode, heating the LCE layer with the hexagonal honeycomb structure causes the sidewalls to buckle and contact the pillar structure on the opposite side, facilitating efficient conductive heat transfer. In reverse mode, heating the LCE layer with a pillar structure causes it to contract, increasing the gap between the layers with the pillar and hexagonal structures. This increased gap reduces convective heat transfer across the air gap. The thermal contact asymmetry, depending on the direction of heat flow, enables the film to achieve a thermal rectification ratio of ≈2.0 over a wide temperature range of 60–100 °C.https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202400558asymmetric heat transferbuckling of hexagonal honeycombsliquid crystal elastomersthermal diodesthermal energy managementthermal rectifications |
| spellingShingle | Jae Yun Baek Gilyong Shin Ju Hwan Lee Sungryul Yun Jei Gyeong Jeon Tae June Kang Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microstructures Small Structures asymmetric heat transfer buckling of hexagonal honeycombs liquid crystal elastomers thermal diodes thermal energy management thermal rectifications |
| title | Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microstructures |
| title_full | Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microstructures |
| title_fullStr | Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microstructures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microstructures |
| title_short | Thermal Diode Films with Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microstructures |
| title_sort | thermal diode films with liquid crystal elastomer microstructures |
| topic | asymmetric heat transfer buckling of hexagonal honeycombs liquid crystal elastomers thermal diodes thermal energy management thermal rectifications |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202400558 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jaeyunbaek thermaldiodefilmswithliquidcrystalelastomermicrostructures AT gilyongshin thermaldiodefilmswithliquidcrystalelastomermicrostructures AT juhwanlee thermaldiodefilmswithliquidcrystalelastomermicrostructures AT sungryulyun thermaldiodefilmswithliquidcrystalelastomermicrostructures AT jeigyeongjeon thermaldiodefilmswithliquidcrystalelastomermicrostructures AT taejunekang thermaldiodefilmswithliquidcrystalelastomermicrostructures |