Journal Club: Overcoming Challenges in Mechanically Actuating Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers
Smart materials are designed to have a controlled response to external stimuli. Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are one of the most well known classes of mechanically active smart materials and have experienced an incredible amount of research attention over the last decade. They are able to recover programmed deformations when heated above a thermal transition; however, are generally considered a one-time event. Liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are another class of actively moving polymers; however, these materials can demonstrate reversible and repeatable shape memory without the need for “re-programming” after each actuation cycle.
