Bending and Stretching in a Narrow Ribbon of Nematic Polymer Networks

Abstract We study the spontaneous out-of-plane bending of a planar untwisted ribbon composed nematic polymer networks activated by change in temperature. Our theory accounts for both stretching and energies, which compete to establish equilibrium. show that when equilibrium is attained these energy components obey complementarity relation: one maximum where other minimum. Moreover, we identify bleaching regime: sufficiently large values an activation parameter (which measures mismatch between degrees order organization reference current configurations), ribbon’s deformation essentially independent its thickness.