NEW DELHI, Feb 22: A recent study has proposed that the property of elasticity in materials may stem from the interactions among their molecular components, enabling them to return to their original form after the removal of applied stress.
The research presents new possibilities for creating innovative, elastically flexible crystals that could be utilized in aerospace and electronic applications, as noted by the authors in their publication in the journal Nature Materials.
The team of researchers, which included members from The University of Queensland, Australia, aimed to pinpoint the precise “location” of the energy that contributes to the elasticity of flexible materials.
To achieve this, they examined single crystals of three molecular substances—known for maintaining their properties at the molecular level—by physically bending them to determine where energy is captured.
“We investigated how and where energy was conserved as the crystals were deformed and subsequently returned to their initial shape and dimensions,” explained Jack Clegg, a professor at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences at The University of Queensland.
The researchers discovered that the energy responsible for the self-recovery of the crystals was stored as potential energy within the molecular interactions.
“Our findings showed that the bent flexible crystals could store sufficient energy to lift an object weighing 30 times that of the crystal itself one meter into the air,” Clegg added.
He further elaborated, “Under stress, the molecules undergo reversible rotation and rearrangement in a manner that distinguishes energy storage between the inner and outer sides of the bend.”
This newfound understanding of a widely observed phenomenon paves the way for the development of novel hybrid materials that may be applicable in spacecraft and electronic devices, according to Clegg.
“Elasticity is an essential property that supports a range of current technologies, including optical fibers, aircraft components, and load-bearing bridges,” the author stated.
“Our study indicates that varying intermolecular interactions contribute to the restoring force in both tensile (stretching) and compressive stress for each material,” the authors concluded. (PTI)
