Impact of solar radiation on chemical structure and micromechanical properties of cellulose-based humidity-sensing material Cottonid

Renewable and environmentally responsive materials are an energy- and resource-efficient approach in terms of civil engineering applications, e.g. as so-called smart building skins. To evaluate the influence of different environmental stimuli, like humidity or solar radiation, on the long-term actuation behavior and mechanical robustness of these materials, it is necessary to precisely characterize the magnitude and range of stimuli that trigger reactions and the resulting kinetics of a material, respectively, with suitable testing equipment and techniques. The overall aim is to correlate actuation potential and mechanical properties with process- or application-oriented parameters in terms of demand-oriented stimuli-responsive element production. In this study, the impact of solar radiation as environmental trigger on the cellulose-based humidity-sensing material Cottonid, which is a promising candidate for adaptive and autonomously moving elements, was investigated. For simulating solar radiation in the lab, specimens were exposed to short-wavelength blue light as well as a standardized artificial solar irradiation (CIE Solar ID65) in long-term aging experiments. Photodegradation behavior was analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared as well as electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements to assess changes in Cottonid’s chemical composition. Subsequently, changes in micromechanical properties on the respective specimens’ surface were investigated with roughness measurements and ultra-micro-hardness tests to characterize variations in stiffness distribution in comparison to the initial condition. Also, thermal effects during long-term aging were considered and contrasted to pure radiative effects. In addition, to investigate the influence of process-related parameters on Cottonid’s humidity-driven deformation behavior, actuation tests were performed in an alternating climate chamber using a customized specimen holder, instrumented with digital image correlation (DIC). DIC was used for precise actuation strain measurements to comparatively evaluate different influences on the material’s sorption behavior. The infrared absorbance spectra of different aging states of irradiated Cottonid indicate oxidative stress on the surface compared to unaged samples. These findings differ under pure thermal loads. EPR spectra could corroborate these findings as radicals were detected, which were attributed to oxidation processes. Instrumented actuation experiments revealed the influence of processing-related parameters on the sorption behavior of the tested and structurally optimized Cottonid variant. Experimental data supports the definition of an optimal process window for stimuli-responsive element production. Based on these results, tailor-made functional materials shall be generated in the future where stimuli-responsiveness can be adjusted through the manufacturing process.