A theoretical liquid crystal elastomer model that mimics the elasticity of cat skin

Electrospun Composite Liquid Crystal Elastomer Fibers

We present a robust method to prepare thin oriented nematic liquid crystalline elastomer-polymer (LCE-polymer) core-sheath fibers. An electrospinning setup is utilized to spin a single solution of photo-crosslinkable low molecular weight reactive mesogens and a support polymer to form the coaxial LCE-polymer fibers, where the support polymer forms the sheath via in situ phase separation as the ...

Flexoelectricity of a Calamitic Liquid Crystal Elastomer Swollen With a Bent-Core Liquid Crystal

We have measured the electric current induced by mechanical distortion of a calamitic liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) swollen with a low molecular weight bent-core nematic (BCN) liquid crystal, and have determined, for the first time, the bend flexoelectric coefficient e 3 of such a BCN-LCE composite. In one method, we utilise air-pressure to induce a mechanical bend deformation and flexoelectri...

investigating the feasibility of a proposed model for geometric design of deployable arch structures

deployable scissor type structures are composed of the so-called scissor-like elements (sles), which are connected to each other at an intermediate point through a pivotal connection and allow them to be folded into a compact bundle for storage or transport. several sles are connected to each other in order to form units with regular polygonal plan views. the sides and radii of the polygons are...

The 7-th International Liquid Crystal Elastomer Conference

Fast liquid-crystal elastomer swims into the dark.

Liquid-crystal elastomers (LCEs) are rubbers whose constituent molecules are orientationally ordered. Their salient feature is strong coupling between the orientational order and mechanical strain. For example, changing the orientational order gives rise to internal stresses, which lead to strains and change the shape of a sample. Orientational order can be affected by changes in externally app...