NEAR-INFRARED LIGHT RESPONSIVE GEL MATERIAL, AND SELF-REPAIRING MATERIAL AND SELF-REPAIRING METHOD USING GEL MATERIAL

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gel material in which near-infrared light can be used for switching from a liquid crystal phase to an isotropic phase of a liquid crystal material and a damaged part can be repaired at room temperature.SOLUTION: A near-infrared light responsive gel material is used, which comprises: a liquid crystal material; fine particles that are dispersed in the liquid crystal material, develop a sol state when the liquid crystal material transfers into an isotropic phase, and develop a gel state when the liquid crystal material transfers into a liquid crystal phase; and a near-infrared absorbing material that is uniformly dispersed together with the fine particles in the liquid crystal material and has a photo-thermal conversion effect by irradiation with near-infrared light to switch the phase structure of the liquid crystal material between the liquid crystal phase and the isotropic phase.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2