title: Carbon Nanotubes as Reinforcement of Cellulose Liquid Crystalline Responsive Networks.
abstract: The incorporation of small amount of highly anisotropic nanoparticles into liquid crystalline hydroxypropylcellulose (LC-HPC) matrix improves its response when is exposed to humidity gradients due to an anisotropic increment of order in the structure. Dispersed nanoparticles give rise to faster order/disorder transitions when exposed to moisture as it is qualitatively observed and quantified by stress-time measurements. The presence of carbon nanotubes derives in a improvement of the mechanical properties of LC-HPC thin films.
authors.affiliation: I3N-CENIMAT, and Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa , 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Coro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Echeverria
authors.affiliation: I3N-CENIMAT, and Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa , 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.affiliation: I3N-CENIMAT, and Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa , 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.|Soft Matter and Molecular Biophysics Group. Department of Applied Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela , E-15782, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, España.
authors.forename: Esther G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.affiliation: I3N-CENIMAT, and Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa , 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.|Area Departamental de Física, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa , ISEL/IPL, R. Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, 1, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: I3N-CENIMAT, and Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa , 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Godinho
keywords: actuator; carbon nanotubes; cellulose derivative; humidity-responsive; polymer liquid crystal; soft motor