Title: Stimuli-Responsive Deformation of Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers

Author: Wanxian Xu, Ruoyuan Yin, Li Lin, Yanlei Yu*

Journal: Progress in Chemistry, 2008, 20(01), 140-147

Abstract:

There has been considerable effort to develop artificial actuator materials that can generate large mechanical deformation induced by external stimuli. Among these materials, liquid crystalline elastomers have unique properties because of combining the rubber elasticity of the polymer network and the orientational ordering of liquid-crystalline moieties, and show reversible shape-recovery effects with shape memory induced by heat, light, electric field and so on. Here several kinds of stimuli-responsive deformation behavior of liquid-crystalline elastomers are reviewed. The progress on deformable liquid-crystalline elastomers in response to various external stimuli such as temperature, electric field, chemical stimulus, and light is mainly introduced. The mechanism of the deformation including thermal-induced, electric-field-induced and photoinduced phase transition is described, and the dominating influence factors of their responsive performance are discussed. The potential applications of liquid-crystalline elastomers are also prospected.

Fulltext Link: http://manu56.magtech.com.cn/progchem/CN/Y2008/V20/I01/140