Themed collection Liquid Crystal Elastomers
![](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.148/content/NewImages/Ajax-GA-Loader.gif)
Liquid crystal elastomers: emerging trends and applications
Timothy White and Rafael Verduzco introduce this themed collection in Soft Matter on liquid crystal elastomers.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 4320-4320
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM90086D
Smart biomimetic micro/nanostructures based on liquid crystal elastomers and networks
Liquid crystal elastomers and networks have become the materials of choice for the fabrication of bio-inspired micro/nanostructured surfaces.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 8006-8022
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01466J
Shaping helical electrospun filaments: a review
Electrospinning is a simple and versatile technique that allows the production of micro and nanofibres with many different helical shapes. In this work, we review the different electrospinning procedures that can be used to obtain helical shapes similar to those found in natural materials.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 6678-6688
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01280B
Interpenetrating polymer networks of liquid-crystalline azobenzene polymers and poly(dimethylsiloxane) as photomobile materials
Interpenetrating polymer networks composed of liquid-crystalline azobenzene polymers and poly(dimethylsiloxane) were prepared to enhance the performance of photomobile materials.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 5820-5823
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01412K
Main-chain liquid-crystal elastomers versus side-chain liquid-crystal elastomers: similarities and differences in their mechanical properties
The shear and Young moduli, the poly-domain to mono-domain transition, the Poisson ratio and the supercritical or subcritical nature of main-chain and side-chain liquid-crystal elastomers are characterized with various mechanical experiments.
Soft Matter, 2018,14, 6449-6462
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8SM00936H
Thermomechanical properties of monodomain nematic main-chain liquid crystal elastomers
Actuation temperature was controlled without influencing total actuation performance in liquid crystal elastomers fabricated by a two-stage reaction scheme.
Soft Matter, 2018,14, 6024-6036
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8SM01178H
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.148/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
New insights into the nature of semi-soft elasticity and “mechanical-Fréedericksz transitions” in liquid crystal elastomers
Previously unseen coincidence of a semi-soft elastic-like load curve with a “mechanical-Fréedericksz transition” and negative liquid crystal order parameter (S).
Soft Matter, 2018,14, 1301-1310
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM02107K
Liquid crystal elastomer foams with elastic properties specifically engineered as biodegradable brain tissue scaffolds
3D liquid crystal elastomer foams (LCEs) scaffold materials as dynamic substrates for cell culture, going beyond designing only a physical static 3D scaffold.
Soft Matter, 2018,14, 354-360
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01949A
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.148/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Frame, metric and geodesic evolution in shape-changing nematic shells
Light and heat-induced, non-uniform deformations in nematic shells lead to Gaussian curvature, unusual geodesics and ultimately strong actuation.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 8858-8863
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01596H
Beam steering by liquid crystal elastomer fibres
A liquid crystalline elastomer based beam steerer is demonstrated able to address the impinging signal in every in-plane direction.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 8590-8596
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM02063E
Humidity-responsive actuators from integrating liquid crystal networks in an orienting scaffold
Integrating liquid crystal networks in an anisotropic porous scaffold allows enhancing their mechanical performance and promotes their alignment. By combining this approach with humidity-responsive liquid crystals and gradients in cross-linking density, we demonstrate soft yet tough actuators that curl, wind or twist in response to humidity.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 8070-8075
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01505D
Coupled swelling and nematic reordering in liquid crystal gels
Nematic–isotropic phase transition and swelling occur on separate time scales. A nematic microswimmer exploits this concept to change shape non-reciprocally.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 7907-7915
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01659J
High strain actuation liquid crystal elastomers via modulation of mesophase structure
Control of the mesophase in liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) is a critical aspect in harnessing their unique stimuli-responsive properties.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 7537-7547
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01380A
Thermo-, photo-, and mechano-responsive liquid crystal networks enable tunable photonic crystals
Tunable photonic crystals exhibiting optical properties that respond reversibly to external stimuli have been developed using liquid crystal networks (LCNs) and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs).
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 7486-7491
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01287J
Heat-controlled micropillar array device for microsystems technology
A hybrid smart LCE microdevice has been produced with total control on the actuation time/response, repeatability, stability and energy saving.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 7264-7272
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01480E
Liquid-crystal order during synthesis affects main-chain liquid-crystal elastomer behavior
This study presents the first direct comparison of the influence of liquid-crystal order during synthesis on the thermo-mechanical behaviors of main-chain liquid-crystal elastomers (LCEs) in thiol–acrylate networks.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 7013-7025
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01405H
Dual-responsive deformation of a crosslinked liquid crystal polymer film with complex molecular alignment
A crosslinked liquid crystal polymer film with discrete alternating splayed alignments is fabricated and shows dual-responsive behavior.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 6145-6151
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01291H
Topochemical polymerization of dumbbell-shaped diacetylene monomers: relationship between chemical structure, molecular packing structure, and gelation property
The dumbbell-shaped diacetylene monomers are synthesized to stabilize their self-organized superstructure through topochemical polymerization.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 5759-5766
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01166K
A homeotropic main-chain tolane-type liquid crystal elastomer film exhibiting high anisotropic thermal conductivity
Homeotropic aligned main-chain tolane-type liquid crystal elastomer films with high normal-to-plane thermal conductivity and high thermal conductivity anisotropy are described.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 5463-5468
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM01154G
Liquid crystalline epoxy networks with exchangeable disulfide bonds
Reprocessable shape memory liquid crystalline epoxy networks were synthesized.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 5021-5027
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM00934H
Voxel resolution in the directed self-assembly of liquid crystal polymer networks and elastomers
Monomeric mixtures formulated to prepare a liquid crystal polymer network (LCN) or elastomer (LCE) can be “programmed” by surface alignment to retain complex and arbitrary spatial distributions of the director orientation upon polymerization.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 4335-4340
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM00663B
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.148/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Patterned oscillating topographical changes in photoresponsive polymer coatings
Light-induced surface deformations are brought into a patterned oscillatory deformation. This is performed by addressing the azobenzene-containing liquid crystal polymer coating with rotating polarized UV illumination.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 4321-4327
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM00699C
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.148/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Reactive oligo(dimethylsiloxane) mesogens and their nanostructured thin films
Hybrid organic/inorganic polymeric lamellar sheets were obtained by the self-assembly and subsequent photopolymerization of oligo(dimethylsiloxane)-based reactive mesogens.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 4357-4362
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM00673J
Dual-responsive, shape-switching bilayers enabled by liquid crystal elastomers
The anisotropic modulus of liquid crystal elastomers is used to drive complex shape change in bilayers.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 4349-4356
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM00541E
Thermal bending coupled with volume change in liquid crystal gels
Thermal bending of liquid crystal elastomers in swollen and neat states differs significantly in the total variation of curvature and the temperature range where the curvature varies.
Soft Matter, 2017,13, 4341-4348
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM00602K