Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Evolving Trends and Perioperative Outcomes of Surgical Treatment for Male Stress Urinary Incontinence: Results from the GRAND Study Register.

European urology open science·2026

Same author

Hospital caseload thresholds for improved perioperative outcomes during transurethral resection or enucleation of the prostate: results from the GRAND study.

World journal of urology·2026

Same author

Unraveling the Knot: The Impact of Distal vs. Proximal Implantation Technique on Adjustable Transobturator Male Sling (ATOMS) Outcomes for the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence.

Neurourology and urodynamics·2026

Same author

Primary extragonadal germ cell tumours: Real-world data from a high-volume centre.

BJUI compass·2026

Same author

Trends in Treatment and Perioperative Outcomes of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: The Evolving Role of Lymphadenectomy and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Journal of clinical medicine·2026

Same author

Interfacial Siloxane Interactions to Enhance Semiconductor Ordering and Performance in Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Denoising algorithm of Φ-OTDR systems based on adaptive fractional wavelet transform denoising.

Optics express·2026

Same journal

Millisecond photon-to-photon latency and high-speed volumetric projection system for optogenetics.

Optics express·2026

Same journal

Polarization-encoded coaxial structured light for high-precision 3D surface profilometry.

Optics express·2026

Same journal

Discrete freeform optical design based on collaborative optimization of point cloud and local normals.

Optics express·2026

Same journal

Ultrafast ghost imaging with 25 GHz speckle switching and wavelength-division multiplexing.

Optics express·2026

Same journal

Atomic vapor cells fabricated by femtosecond laser welding of standard-optical-quality glass.

Optics express·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Published on: February 1, 2016

External stimulus driven variable-step grating in a nematic elastomer.

Emel Sungur, Min-Hui Li, Gregory Taupier

|June 24, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers created micro-patterns in artificial muscle material using light. This technique allows for precise patterning of liquid crystal elastomers, enabling temperature-responsive materials with tunable properties.

More Related Videos

A Novel Platform for In Vitro Cellular Stretching and Imaging

A Novel Platform for In Vitro Cellular Stretching and Imaging

Published on: March 10, 2026

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction

Published on: January 19, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Published on: February 1, 2016

A Novel Platform for In Vitro Cellular Stretching and Imaging

A Novel Platform for In Vitro Cellular Stretching and Imaging

Published on: March 10, 2026

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction

Published on: January 19, 2016

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Optics

Background:

Nematic elastomers are advanced materials with muscle-like properties.
Photopolymerization offers a route to pattern these materials.
Controlling material structure at the microscale is key for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop micro-patterning techniques for nematic elastomers.
To investigate the use of photopolymerization for creating precise patterns.
To fabricate temperature-responsive materials using these patterning methods.

Main Methods:

Surface-aligned nematic liquid crystal monomers were photopolymerized.
Microscope-based setups utilizing one-photon and two-photon excitation were employed.
The contractile properties of the nematic elastomer were leveraged.

Main Results:

Accurate micro-patterns were successfully created in the nematic elastomer.
Two-photon excitation provided higher spatial selectivity, yielding finer patterns.
Fabricated gratings exhibited variable step changes in response to temperature.

Conclusions:

Photopolymerization is an effective method for micro-patterning nematic elastomers.
The developed technique allows for the creation of sophisticated, responsive materials.
This work opens possibilities for advanced actuators and soft robotics.