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Related Concept Videos

Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites
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Electrospun Composite Liquid Crystal Elastomer Fibers.

Anshul Sharma1, Jan P F Lagerwall2

  • 1Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, 162 A Avenue de la Faïencerie, 1511 Luxembourg, Luxembourg. anshul.sharma@uni.lu.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 10, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed core-sheath liquid crystalline elastomer-polymer (LCE-polymer) fibers using electrospinning. These fibers show potential for actuators after sheath removal, enabling applications in soft robotics and responsive textiles.

Keywords:
actuatorscore-sheathelectrospinningfibersliquid crystal elastomersnematicpolylactic acidpolyvinylpyrrolidone

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are stimuli-responsive materials with great potential for actuators.
  • Developing methods for fabricating LCE-based fibers is crucial for advanced applications.
  • Core-sheath structures offer unique properties for functional materials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a robust method for preparing oriented nematic LCE-polymer core-sheath fibers.
  • To investigate the influence of sheath polymers on fiber properties and performance.
  • To explore the potential of these fibers as actuators.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an electrospinning setup to spin a single solution of photo-crosslinkable reactive mesogens and a support polymer.
  • Employed in situ phase separation for sheath formation during solvent evaporation.
  • Analyzed optical and morphological properties, and shape changes upon heating.

Main Results:

  • Successfully fabricated LCE-polymer core-sheath fibers with oriented nematic LCE cores.
  • Observed irreversible contraction in the current fibers, attributed to the passive sheath polymer.
  • Compared the effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone and polylactic acid as sheath materials.

Conclusions:

  • The electrospinning method provides a viable route to LCE-polymer core-sheath fibers.
  • The passive sheath polymer hinders reversible actuation but enhances fiber stability.
  • Removal of the sheath polymer is expected to yield functional LCE fibers for actuator applications in soft robotics and textiles.