Shu Yang 
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), known for their reversible and anisotropic deformation, are promising candidates as embedded intelligent actuators in soft robots. Using an extrusion process, meter-long LCE composite filaments that are responsive to both infrared light and electrical fields are fabricated. When a small quantity of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) is incorporated to facilitate the alignment … Read more
Liquid crystals are composed of rod- or disc-like molecules called mesogens, and, as a result of the alignment of these mesogens, exhibit remarkable physical properties in between those of a solid and a liquid. The liquid crystals used in this study are made of oligomers, flexible short-chain polymers comprised of smaller rod-like molecular building blocks. … Read more
Inspired by cephalopod’s skin, the Yang lab creates an artificial chromatophore that can change colors instantly—from near-infrared to visible to ultraviolet—on demand, by inflating thin, flexible membranes made from cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers, where the mesogens are arranged in helical shapes. As the membrane is placed on top of a cavity and inflated, the pitch … Read more
Shu Yang of the School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed an artificial chromatophore that can change colors on command by taking inspiration from active camouflage in the animal kingdom. Made from polymer networks of liquid crystals arranged in helical shapes, these membranes require less deformation to change color than previous models, which could lead … Read more
Inspired by biological structural materials, Yang, Liang Feng (Penn Engineering, MSE) and Masoud Akbarzadeh (PennDesign, Architecture) have received $4.6M grant from National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with researchers at Princeton University (Andrej Košmrlj and Pierre-Thomas Brun), Rowan University (Xiao Hu) and Rutgers University Camden (David Salas-de la Cruz) to drive eco-future manufacturing of highly efficient structures and components that are … Read more
A team of medical device developers have come together to create a new respirator design to address the shortage of PPE in hospitals. This design is based on Origami – it does not require any sewing or other special equipment – just scissors, a zip tie, and an elastic band. Sterilization wrap (widely available in … Read more
Researchers made a variety of shapes, including flowers (center) and corals. By changing the ratio of long- to short- rod-like mesogens in the droplet, the researchers could control what shapes the droplets changed into when the temperature was decreased. A new study in Nature details the “weird” finding by showing how droplets containing short chain liquid … Read more
In the heavily regulated building sector, innovative materials face a major disadvantage: building codes. For this reason, and because climate change can’t wait, Shu Yang is using approved materials in new ways to bring her self-cooling building skins to market. Yang is motivated by having an impact. Originally focused on studying nanomaterials, she recalls attending … Read more
A new study demonstrates a strong, reversible adhesive that uses the same mechanisms of adhesion as snails. When wet, the material conforms to the grooves on a surface and when dry, the material hardens and fastens itself securely to the surface. “When it’s conformal and rigid, it’s like super glue. You can’t pull it off. … Read more
Congrats to Emily Spencer and Gray DeSimone who won the 1st place in the Penn Engineering wide senior design competition for creating kirigami envelopes for self-cooling buildings! We are so proud of you!
